Japanese government awards Dragon Quest creator with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays
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Key points
- Yuji Horii, the creator of Dragon Quest, was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette.
- This is a national decoration for those who have provided distinguished service to the state in various fields.
- Yuji Horii is the first video game creator to receive this honor.
The Japanese government awarded Yuji Horii, the lead creator of Dragon Quest, with one of the highest awards given to citizens: the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette. This national decoration is given to those who have provided distinguished service to the state; Yuji Horii is the first video game creator to receive this honor.
Despite this momentous achievement, Horii expressed surprise upon receiving the reward.
“I’ve been making games for quite a long time now, about 40 years, but I didn’t do it alone. It’s thanks to the staff who helped create the games alongside me,” he told TBS in a video interview.
Yuji Horii received the fourth-class honor, which is the Gold Rays with Rosette. The other class honors are as follows:
- 1st Class: Grand Cordon
- 2nd Class: Gold and Silver Star
- 3rd Class: Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon
- 4th Class: Gold Rays with Rosette
- 5th Class: Gold and Silver Rays
- 6th Class: Silver Rays
The creator’s achievement marks a major governmental acknowledgement of the profound cultural impact and service he rendered to Japan.
The original Dragon Quest served as direct inspiration for Pokémon Red and Blue, marking the beginning of the turn-based JRPG gameplay structure that the world is familiar with now. Dragon Quest inspired countless video game titles thereafter, similar to how Super Mario 64 pioneered game design within the 3D gaming space.
