Winners Selected for the Grand Award and the Excellent Awards of the 14th Kids Design Awards Program

1. Outline

The term “Kids Design” herein refers to a group of ideas and activities for utilizing the power of design to create a social environment that will contribute to the sound growth and development of children, who will become the next generation.

The Kids Design Awards (organized by the Kids Design Association, an NPO) is a program for recognizing outstanding products, spaces, services, activities, and academic programs that have achieved one of three missions on designs for children: [i] designs that contribute to the safety and security of children, [ii] designs that develop children’s creativity and shape their future, and [iii] designs that contribute to comfortably raising children.

2. Winners of the 14th Kids Design Awards

Under the 14th Kids Design Awards, the Kids Design Association received 390 applicants for the program and selected 237 winners for their works. Among the winners, the association further selected one winner of the Prime Minister’s Award as the Grand Award and four winners of the METI Minister’s Awards as the Excellent Awards.

Prime Minister’s Award (one winner)

Magokoro Gakuen, a welfare-type facility for children with disabilities; Yamashita Community and Architectural Design Inc.; Choken Sekkei Jimusho; Ejiri Structural Engineers; Setsubi Kobo Adoin; and Highland Park
Title: Magokoro Gakuen (welfare-type facility for children with disabilities)

METI Minister’s Awards (four winners)

Designs that contribute to the safety and security of children; Category: Children

Panasonic Corporation
Title: First Shaving Series

Designs that contribute to the safety and security of children; Category: General

BALMUDA Inc.
Tittle: BALMUDA The Pure

Designs that develop children’s creativity and shape their future; Category: Creative

Tohata Architects and Engineers; Nishimoto Masato Laboratory, University of Fukui; Suzuki Architect Office; Uno Yuji Laboratory, Aichi Sangyo University; Souchikusya Inc.; Kobo Yamasen Tsuji Butsudan; Niikawa Forestry Cooperative; Uozu City Hoshinomori Elementary School; and Uozu City Board of Education
Title: Implementation of school curricula using wooden school buildings, focusing on education for raising children’s awareness of the attractiveness of lumber

Designs that develop children’s creativity and shape their future; Category: Literacy

Hiyori Hoikuen; Spicato Inc.; Tojiro Co., Ltd.; Soranomachi Publishing; and Muku Corporation
Title: Activities for dietary education in Hiyori Hoikuen and development of tools therefor

Other winners and details thereof

• List of the winners of the 14th Kids Design Awards (in Japanese)

3. Commendation ceremony

On September 30, 2020, a commendation ceremony was held while taking measures against the novel coronavirus disease in accordance with the governmental policies and other guidelines. As a representative of METI, State Minister Nagasaka attended the ceremony, delivered a celebration speech for the winners and stated his expectations for further promotion of kids designs. He also honored the winners with the Prime Minister’s Award and the METI Minister’s Awards.

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  State Minister Nagasaka delivering a celebration speech

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  Honoring the winner with the Prime Minister’s Award

4. Contact counter

• The Kids Design Association (NPO) (in Japanese)

Division in Charge

Design Policy Office, Cool Japan Policy Division, Commerce and Service Industry Policy Group