2026 Good Design Award: Yamaha’s “EAD50” Wins the Grand Award; the Winners Exhibition Ran Until November 4

On October 15, 2026, the Japan Institute of Design Promotion announced the results of the “2026 Good Design Award.” Of 5,111 entries screened, 1,484 won awards, and the Good Design Grand Award (Prime Minister’s Award) went to Yamaha’s “EAD50,” a drum expansion module with a dedicated microphone. “G Exhibition: 2026 Good Design Award Winners Exhibition,” showing all winning designs, was held at Tokyo Midtown (Minato City, Tokyo) from Saturday, October 31 to Wednesday, November 4. Admission was free and no reservation was required.

The 70th judging, with the theme “design that serves a vision”

According to the Japan Institute of Design Promotion, the Good Design Award marks its 70th edition this year. Judging committee chair Jun Nakagawa set out the perspective of “design that serves a vision,” and in addition to the conventional evaluation criteria, the judges were conscious of how the products and initiatives entered connect to the visions set out by companies and organizations.

The winners came from 1,032 companies. From the “Good Design Best 100,” made up of the top five entries from each of the 20 judging units, a total of 32 special awards were selected: one Grand Award, 19 Gold Awards and 12 Good Focus Awards. The Gold Awards were chosen as the most outstanding in each category, and the Grand Award was decided from among them. There were nine Long Life Design Awards.

What kind of design is the Grand Award-winning “EAD50”?

According to the announcement, the EAD50 is a drum PA system that captures the entire drum kit in high sound quality simply by attaching a sensor unit to the bass drum, and lets players operate mixing and effects at hand. It enables drummers themselves to intuitively carry out setup and adjustments that previously relied on PA engineers.

The judges cited the way it makes a complex setup that used 10 or more microphones work with a single unit. It is said to greatly shorten setup time and broaden the range of expression in live performances, practice, streaming and more. Its award number is 26G060313.

Main Gold Award winners, including the exhibition “TSUGU minä perhonen”

Of the 19 Gold Awards, three received the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry’s Award: the wearable thermo device “REON POCKET 6” by Sony Thermo Technology and Sony Group, the whetstone “10Good / Togiba” by King Toishi, and the “Face Recognition Walk-through Ticket Gate” for railway stations by NEC Corporation.

Among Gold Awards related to art and space was the exhibition “TSUGU minä perhonen” by minä Co., Ltd., the Setagaya Art Museum (Setagaya Arts Foundation) and The Asahi Shimbun Company. A touring exhibition marking the 30th anniversary of minä perhonen’s founding in 2025, it began at the Setagaya Art Museum in November 2025 and is now on view at the Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art and Design until December 22. Other Gold Award winners include the bridge (pedestrian bridge) “Tokiwabashi” by the Cultural Property Preservation Planning Association, the public facility “Kasumigaura Animals and Everyone’s House” and the book “Local Magazine ‘Meguru,’” among others.

Art and exhibition winners: “Phoenix” and more

The Good Focus Award [New Business Design] (Commerce and Services Councilor’s Award, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) went to the performing arts work “MANGALOGUE: Phoenix” at MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives. The same category also honored “iino type-S712,” a self-driving mobility vehicle traveling at 5 km/h, among others.

G Exhibition highlights and admission: All winners across nine venues

The G Exhibition displays all 1,484 winners across nine venues within Tokyo Midtown. The main venues are the B1F Hall and Atrium, 4F Conference and 5F Design Hub, with the Grand Award, Best 100 and special awards introduced in the B1F Hall. Hours are 11:00–19:00 (closing at 18:00 on the final day), with free admission and no reservation required. Entry may be restricted depending on crowding.

Voting for “Everyone’s Good Design,” in which visitors choose one of the 20 Grand and Gold Award designs, is limited to one vote per person and runs until Tuesday, November 3. The result will be announced at the Good Design Award celebration on Wednesday, November 4. Talk events will also be held on 5F from Saturday, October 31 to Tuesday, November 3 (national holiday), free of charge and open to same-day participants (some require advance registration).

At GOOD DESIGN Marunouchi (1F Shin-Kokusai Building, 3-4-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda City), “My Choice 2026,” introducing items chosen by judges along with their comments, runs in three periods until Sunday, November 29. Hours are 11:00–20:00 (closing at 17:00 on the last day of each period), and admission is free.

Editor’s perspective

With an exhibition among the Gold Awards and a performing arts work among the Good Focus Awards, the winners go beyond products and architecture. The perspective set out by the judging chair looks not only at the form of things but also at the thinking of the organizations behind them. It should serve as a guide when viewing winners of very different kinds, from products to exhibitions and performances, side by side. The G Exhibition offers five days to see this in person.

Overview

Name: G Exhibition: 2026 Good Design Award Winners Exhibition (GOOD DESIGN EXHIBITION 2026)
Dates: Saturday, October 31 – Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Hours: 11:00–19:00 (closing at 18:00 on the final day)
Venue: Tokyo Midtown (B1F Hall and Atrium, 4F Conference, 5F Design Hub and others)
Address: 9-7-1 Akasaka, Minato City, Tokyo
Admission: Free, no reservation required (entry may be restricted when crowded)
Organizer: Japan Institute of Design Promotion
Official website: https://www.g-mark.org/learn/past-awards/gda-2026/gde2026
*Information as of October 21, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: The lawn at Tokyo Midtown (Minato City, Tokyo), venue of the winners exhibition, May 2014 (Photo: Guilhem Vellut, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on announcements by the Japan Institute of Design Promotion (October 15 and September 24, 2026) and information on the official website.

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team

A note from the publisher

*Disclosure: The “Yokai Immersive Art Exhibition” mentioned in this article is an event for which HITOHATA, INC., an affiliate of HITOHATA ASSOCIATION, the general incorporated association that operates TOKYO ART SPHERE, serves as a project operator together with TV Aichi (About us).

The 1,484 winners also include the “Yokai Immersive Art Exhibition,” which presents yokai paintings from the Edo and Meiji periods through video and sculpture. The winning company, HITOHATA, INC., announced the award on October 15, and the judges’ evaluation is introduced in our article reporting the award.