Game creator Masahiro Sakurai posted on X that he was featured in a special feature titled “50 Beautiful Japanese People of the Showa Centennial” in *Bungeishunju*.
Contributing to the Present and Future of the Gaming Industry
Masahiro Sakurai is best known as the creator of *Kirby* and the founder of the *Super Smash Bros.* series. He has also worked on the Nintendo DS puzzle game *Meteos* and the stylus-controlled 3D shooting action game *New Palutena’s Mirror*.
His contributions to game culture extend far beyond this. In his column “Masahiro Sakurai’s Thoughts on Games,” serialized in Famitsu, he provided in-depth insights into his views on games and the mechanics of the titles he was playing at the time for approximately 18 years.
He also launched his own YouTube channel, “Masahiro Sakurai’s How to Make Games.” With the goal of “raising the fun factor of games worldwide just a little bit,” he shares insights drawn from his own experiences—ranging from specific explanations of game systems, specifications, and design to public relations, team management, and his approach to work.
In the final episode, he revealed that the expenses for these hundreds of videos—produced entirely out of his own pocket without any monetization—totaled approximately 90 million yen.
Furthermore, he launched “PRESS START,” a concert series featuring video game music, and established the “Game Designers’ Award”—a new category within the “Japan Game Awards” held in conjunction with the Tokyo Game Show—where creators themselves evaluate games’ “originality” and “innovation” from a professional perspective to honor works of unprecedented creativity.His contributions to the game industry—including serving as the head judge—are immeasurable.
However, the Game Designers Awards came to a close in 2026, much to everyone’s regret.
Meanwhile, Bungeishunju’s iconic feature “50 Beautiful Japanese People” first appeared in print in 1995, and the 2026 edition is now being published.This project introduces “Japanese people who did not live solely for themselves, were not swayed by self-interest, upheld their principles, and lived with integrity”; in the past, figures such as Eiichi Shibusawa, Rentaro Taki, and Jiro Shirasu have been featured.
In this latest edition, “100 Years of Showa: 50 Beautiful Japanese,” Masahiro Sakurai is featured as one of a distinguished lineup that includes the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita, Yoshiharu Habu, andand Shohei Ohtani. He is introduced under the title “A Genius of Game Development Who Sacrifices His Personal Wealth” by Taida Nagata, a former Famitsu editor who now works at “Hobonichi.”
The November issue of *Bungeishunju*, which features this feature, is currently on sale.
