News 2006

Message from the Organizers (2006/04/03)

On the Occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Good Design Awards

The Good Design Awards this year celebrate their 50th anniversary. We would like to express at the outset our heartfelt appreciation for the warm support and help this system has received from corporations, designers, and the general public over the past 50 years.

The predecessor of the Good Design Awards, the Good Design Selection System, was established in 1957 (Showa 32) by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. The concept and methodology of "design" were vital factors in enabling Japan?fs international economic and social participation so soon after the end of World War II. Japan has developed greatly since then in both economic and social terms, and design has also made a huge contribution to this development. The role of design itself has also developed significantly: from the starting point of adding value to products it moved on to the shapes of new products and services, and eventually to lifestyles produced by businesses focused on the new values that design itself creates. We anticipate that design may even become a driving force in the 21st century, propelling both industry and society.

On this 50th anniversary of the G-Mark, we are launching activities to rebuild the role played by the system by returning to its roots. Unlike 50 years ago, Japanese industry and design have achieved high status in the international community. We believe that the Good Design Awards will play an important role in benefiting international society by presenting in a concrete fashion how some things can only be achieved through design.

As we take a new step forward on this 50th anniversary occasion, we look forward to the participation of very many corporations and designers in the Good Design Awards, and invite your support and cooperation on an ever wider scale.

April 3, 2006
Hikoharu Kure, Chairman
Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization