KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD is an international competition for product design that aims to co-create with talented designers and support their activities.
The theme for the KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD 2026 is “HAMON —Design that Resonates.”
This theme focuses on the power of design, where an idea born from one person's real experiences can resonate with others, creating a chain of resonance and spreading throughout society. By digging deeper into ideas born from personal experiences and examining them from various angles, we envision the standards of the future. We look forward to the ripple your unique stone might create.
In addition, the “NEW GENERATION AWARD” will be given just as last year. The NEW GENERATION AWARD encourages unique ideas and challenges that are not bound by existing concepts, and is open only to student applicants with the expectation of future success.
Click here to view the message video from all judges regarding the recruitment themes
https://www.kokuyo.com/en/award/2026/video/
—The main application guidelines for the KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD 2026
1. Theme: HAMON Design that Resonates
It all begins with someone's experience. There are things you can understand—and social issues you can perceive—precisely because of who you are. When you create a design by examining an idea born from your unique, lived experience from various angles and digging deeper, it can spread through society by rippling outward and resonating with others. What we seek to discover this year is the "future standard" born through that kind of spirit. A design that emerges from the micro self toward the macro society. We look forward to the ripple your unique stone might create.
2. Eligible entries:
Any stationery, furniture or tool used in working, learning and living scenes
3. Registration and submission:
July 25 (Fri) – October 8 (Wed), 2025
4. Judges:
Shogo Kishino(Representative of 6D-K / Art Director and Graphic Designer)
Nao Tamura(Designer)
Kunihiko Morinaga(ANREALAGE / Designer)
Teruhiro Yanagihara(TERUHIRO YANAGIHARA STUDIO / Designer)
Satoshi Yoshiizumi(Founder of TAKT PROJECT Inc. / Designer)
Hidekuni Kuroda(Representative Corporate Officer and President of KOKUYO Co., Ltd.)
5. Prizes:
- Grand Prix (one winner)¥2,000,000 ¥2,000,000 (about $14,000)
- Merit Award (three winners) ¥500,000 (about $3,500) per winner
- NEW GENERATION AWARD (max ten winners) ¥30,000 (about $210) per winner*
* The NEW GENERATION AWARD is selected by KOKUYO Co., Ltd. from among all entries submitted by students (from elementary school to graduate school students) in the hope for their future success. We will select up to 10 outstanding entries that, based on their presentation sheets, make us “feel that their futures will be exciting” (without judging the models).
6. Judging Points:
・The idea must be born from your own unique perspective.
・The work should demonstrate engagement with a social issue.
・The design's potential to become a product
7. Award announcements:
March 14 (Sat), 2026 [tentative]
Website: https://www.kokuyo.com/en/award/
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