Judges

Third round of judges / Final judging.

Creators, experts, media and critics that represent the design world of Japan serve as the judges.
Presidents of the DSA and JCD serve as the chairman and vice chairman of the award committee.


Special judges (in random order and titles omitted)

  • Astrid Klein

    Klein Dytham architecture (KDa) and co-founder

    Born in Varese, Italy, Astrid Klein is a partner at Klein Dytham architecture (KDa) and co-founder of PechaKucha with Mark Dytham. After working at Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects, Astrid and Mark established a multidisciplinary office in Tokyo in 1991, focusing on architecture, interior design, and installations. Representative works include Daikanyama T-SITE (2011), Ginza Place (2016), Hoshino Resorts Risonare Nasu, PokoPoko Clubhouse (2019), toggle hotel, suidobashi (2020), Cartier Shinsaibashi Boutique, Osaka (2021). The office has won numerous international awards, including D&AD, World Architecture Festival, Design for Asia Grand Prize, and two Dezeen Awards in 2021.

  • RYUKO Kida

    ELLE DECOR Brand Director

    Ryuko Kida has long been involved in the fields of interior design and lifestyle as an editor and journalist. After working as deputy editor of madame FIGARO japon and editor-in-chief of Pen (both published by CCC Media House, formerly Hanshin Communications), she became editor-in-chief of the Japanese edition of ELLE DECOR (Hearst Fujingaho) in December 2005. She has been in her current position since July 2014 and also serves as a board member of Japan Creative.

  • KASHIWA Sato

    Creative Director

    Kashiwa Sato is one of a leading Japanese creator whose creations embody brands iconically in a wide range of fields, held his own exhibition at the National Art Center, Tokyo in 2021. His major works include the symbol mark design for the National Art Center, Tokyo, UNIQLO's global brand strategy and the total production of Fuji Kindergarten, Cupnoodles Museum, etc. He has been a adjunct professor at Kyoto University's Graduate School of Management since 2021, where he is also involved in the development of creative human resources. He was a Cultural Envoy of the Agency for Cultural Affairs (2016), a specially invited professor at Keio University (2012-2020) and a visiting professor at Tama Art University. Author of 'Kashiwa Sato's Super Organising Techniques' and other books.

  • YASUKO Sato

  • HITOSHI Tanaka

    CEO of JINS Holdings, Inc.
    Representative Director of the TANAKA HITOSHI FOUNDATION

    Born in Gunma in 1963.
    Founded JIN Ltd. (now JINS Holdings, Inc.) in 1988 and launched "JINS," an eyewear business, in 2001.
    Listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's First Section in 2013 (transferred to the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market in April 2022).
    Established the "TANAKA HITOSHI FOUNDATION" with the goal of supporting local revitalization in Gunma in 2014 and launched an entrepreneur support project, the "Gunma Innovation Award," and the "Gunma Innovation School."
    Currently working on revitalizing the Maebashi city center.

  • Tino Kwan

    Tino Kwan Lighting Consultants Principal Consultant

    Internationally acclaimed lighting designer Tino Kwan is regarded as one of the world’s most celebrated masters. His glazing work can be found in landscapes across the globe, from commercial buildings, pleasure yachts, royal palaces, to the most luxurious casinos, hotels and private homes. Over the past 40 years, he has accumulated numerous accolades from all over the world, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hong Kong Interior Design Association (HKIDA).
    Kwan founded TinoKwan Lighting Consultants in London in 1979, having offices in Hong Kong, Beijing and Tokyo and now has a total of over 60 staff. His recent work includes Regent Hotel Hong Kong, Grand Lisboa Palace Casino Hotel Macau, Raffles Singapore, Hotel Hilton Nagoya, and Eshikoto Fukui.
    Kwan has taught at design institutes in Hong Kong and Tsinghua University in Beijing since 2008. He also serves as the President of the Asia Pacific Hotels Design Association, a platform for international hotel designers and hotel industry.

  • JUN Naito

  • HIROSHI Nakamura

    Architect

    Born in 1974 in Tokyo. He spent his childhood in Kamakura and Kanazawa. He completed his master’s degree in architecture at Graduate School of Science and Technology, Meiji University in 1999. After graduation, he started working at Kengo Kuma & Associates, and established Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP in 2002. Currently, he is also the representative of NAP Consultant, NAP International, and NAP Design Works, dealing with a wide range of fields from urban development to furniture.
    Awards: AIJ Prize Architectural Design Division, JIA Sustainable Architecture Award Grand Prize, Japan Federation of Architects & Building Engineers Associations Architectural Work Awards Grand Prize, KUKAN DESIGN AWARD KUKAN OF THE YEAR/Nikkei Inc Award, ARCASIA Awards for Architecture Building of the Year, LEAF AWARDS Overall Winner, WAN Sustainable Buildings of the Year Winner and more.
    Books: 'Microscopic Designing Methodology' INAX Publishing, ' Regional Social Sphere Model' (joint authorship) INAX Publishing, 'JA114, Summer 2019: Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP' Shinkenchiku-Sha, etc.

    撮影/KEI Tanaka

  • MANABU Mizuno

  • MORII Yoshiyuki

    Born in kyoto in 1967. Established cafe co. in 1996. He management his own restaurant, and also designed himself. He also designed house,commercial facility,boutique,club,dining and so on.

    Representative works:2011 IRIS WARTER TERRACE AYAMEIKE(bridal/Nara), 2011 MEGU(restaurant/Qatar), 2013 Seta Golf Course club house(club house/Shiga), 2014 MERCER(restaurant/Tokyo), 2014 GREEN RATTAN(restaurant/Tokyo), 2017 KYOTO TOWER SANDO(commercial facility/Kyoto), 2018 NOGUCHI NAOHIKO SAKE INSTITUTE Inc.(retail・restaurant/Ishikawa), 2020 KAMOME SLOW HOTEL(hotel/Hyogo), 2020 SHIBUYA FOOD SHOW(commercial facility/Tokyo), 2021 RAISE(nightclub/Tokyo), 2021 kojin kyoto(gallery & salon/Kyoto), 2023 IZUMO HOTEL THE CLIFF (hotel/Shimane)

  • YUZAWA Sachiko

    Professor of the Department of Architecture and Environmental Design, Tama Art University
    / Interior Architect

    Yuzawa Sachiko, First Class Registered Architect, was born in Tokyo in1965. She graduated from the Department of Fine Art, Faculty of Zokei, Tokyo Zokei University.
    After studying fine art, she worked at Tanseisha Co., Ltd. Afterwards, she taught at the Department of Architecture and Environmental Design of Tama Art University starting from 2004 and served as professor starting from 2020. While engaged in several projects of cultural facility spaces, commercial facility spaces, medical and welfare facility spaces, she grasps interior, architecture and landscape design comprehensively, and conducts cross-disciplinary research in the relationship of people, things and space. She has received many design awards, and her prize-winning works include the Intermediatheqe, Sakata Yumenokura, and John Lennon Museum. As well as Japan Red Cross Blood Donation Room, Japan Red Cross Children’s Home, and more. She has served as the chairperson of Japanese Technical Organization for Commercial Spaces since 2018.


Judging Committee Chair

  • KUBOTA Shigeru

    Kubota Architects & Associates Inc. President / Board Chairman JCD

    Born in Tokyo in 1969, Kubota worked for a design firm before going independent in 1999, and established the Kubota Architecture and Urban Research Institute in 2003. In 2003, he established Kubota Architecture and Urban Research Institute, and has been designing a variety of genres and formats, focusing on architecture, interiors, and products. He is also involved in planning, development and production, and proposes the creation of places where people gather and communities are born. His representative works include “The WAREHOUSE” in Kawasaki, general production and space design for “METoA Ginza”, “Mercedes-Benz Connection” in Roppongi, etc., “Imabari Towel Aoyama”, “café 1886 at Bosch”, “UT STORE HARAJUKU. Galaxy Harajuku”, etc.


Judging Vice Chairman

  • SUZUKI Shigechiyo

    NOMURA Co., Ltd. Managing Executive Creative Director / Board Chairman DSA

    Born in 1956. He has been involved in design and art direction for a wide range of commercial facilities, corporate PR facilities, and museums, and has created works with a strong theme. He has received numerous awards, including the Grand Prix and Excellence Award at the Japan Display Design Awards, the Minister of International Trade and Industry Award, and the Good Design Award. Recent representative works include “Otemachi Cafe”, “Masahiko Inoue’s Last Manga Exhibition”, and “Ocha no Kyoto Expo”.

First and second round of judges.

Judges are specialists who are well-versed and experienced in spatial design.

*This year's judges will be announced on this page as soon as they are decided.


◼️ Second round of judges

Full-time Jury
JCD /
DSA /

Group A Jury
JCD /
DSA /

Group B Jury
JCD /
DSA /

Group C Jury
JCD /
DSA /


◼️ First round of judges

Group A Jury
JCD /
DSA /

Group B Jury
JCD /
DSA /

Group C Jury
JCD /
DSA /

※ The second jury (group jury) will also serve as the first jury.
※ Please note that the jury is subject to change. We ask for your understanding.