Tokyo Design Awards 2026
Competition Brief
Intent
The Tokyo Design Awards is a competition of international stature that celebrates the excellency of design in several disciplines. It caters for architects, designers, and other creative professionals to showcase their works that are characterized by innovation, vision, and significant impact among other fields like architecture, interior design, product design, and others including lighting, furniture, packaging, transportation, and conceptual design alongside character and pop design.
Purpose
The competition aims to showcase the best and the most original designs from all over the world. It motivates the participants to think in terms of design that can create new environments, change the culture, and provide better experiences. The projects that exhibit being thoughtful, progressive, and strong in their execution will be the ones that get recognized.
Requirements
The competition is open to various parties which include individual designers, teams, agencies, brands, manufacturers, and students from all over the world. The projects that are eligible must have been created, shown, or launched on or after January 1, 2022. The submissions have to fulfill the laid out requirements which include descriptions of the project and visuals.
Jury
Mark Turner
Creative Director and Founder, Kre8ive Partners, United Kingdom
Valeria Senkina
Owner and Chief Architect, Dseesion Interiors, Philippines
Vonj Tingson
President and Chief Campaigns Officer, PAGEONE, United States
Alice Li
Director, Cultural Strategy and Innovation, sparks and honey (Omnicom Group), United States
Bo Zhang
Founder, Desz Office, United States
Chongrui Zhao
Staff Product Designer, Walmart, United States
Eugenio Bini
Architect and Engineer, beingarch, Italy
Idan Chiang
Founder and Chief Designer, L’atelier Fantasia, Taiwan
Ilana Seleznev
Owner, Inventor and Industrial Designer, Studio RDD, Israel
Jae Leong
Judging Committee Chairperson, International Awards Associate (IAA), Malaysia
Jiaru Lin
Head of Design, Amaffi, United States
Jiayuan Wang
Design Director, VSDesign, United States
Joon Kwon
Chief Executive Officer and Co founder, LR Seoul, South Korea
Katia Levit
Senior Sales and Marketing Director, Aesthetic Solutions, Turkey
Khaled Elnems
Q.C. and Industrial Product Designer, PARSONS Infrastructure and Technology Group Inc., United Arab Emirates
Lichen Ding
Founder and Chief Designer, DLCA Architects, China
Li Sheng
Founder and CEO, Asia Design Week, China
Meng Zhao
Founding Principal, Chuxin Tuoyuan Co., Ltd., China
Pal Pang
Design Principal, ANOTHER DESIGN, United Kingdom
Ronn Lee
Creative Partner, BEAMY, Singapore
Somchana Kangwarnjit
Executive Creative Director, Prompt Design, Thailand
Stephen Chow
Managing Director, CAN Design Limited, Hong Kong SAR
Takbir Fatima
Director, DesignAware, India
Tao Chen
Founder, DesignRe explore, China
Jade Lee
Co Founder, DesignRe explore, China
Tiago do Vale
Senior Architect, Tiago do Vale Arquitectos, Portugal
Vargov Anton
CEO, Vargov Design, Russia
Vasil Velchev
Media and Product Life Cycle Manager Europe, Ideal Standard International NV, Bulgaria
Xianlong Deng
Architectural Designer, Goettsch Partners, United States
Wang Zhike
Founder, Topway Space Design Co., Ltd, China
Li Xiaoshui
Founder, Topway Space Design Co., Ltd, China
Xiaobi Pan
Lead Designer, Amazon, United States
Xiyao Wang
Associate Principal, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates PC, United States
Xudong Zhu
Co founder and Principal Designer, T.E.N, China
Xuechen Chen
Founder and Architecture Designer, X.C Studio, United States
Yafei Zhang
Associate Principal, BIM Lead and Adjunct Professor, Kohn Pedersen Fox and Kean University, United States
Yin Hairui
Senior Interior Architect, Shenzhen Jinggong Architectural Design and Engineering Co., Ltd., China
Yiying Tang
Architectural Designer, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, United States
Yolande Wong
CEO, Beijing Zhijian Culture Communication Co., Ltd., China
Zhang Xuewu
General Manager, Yuanjie Chengdu Decoration Design Co., Ltd., China
Zhaodi Wang
Senior UX Designer, Google, United States
Zhou Yi
Founder and Chief Designer, Dayi Design, China
Fees
| Category | Early Bird | Regular | Final | Final Extension |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional 1st Entry | $209 | $219 | $239 | $249 |
| Professional Additional Entry | $209 | $219 | $239 | $249 |
| Professional Additional Category | $149 | $159 | $179 | $189 |
| Individual Achievements 1st Entry | $295 | $355 | $395 | $415 |
| Individual Additional Entry | $295 | $355 | $395 | $415 |
| Individual Additional Category | $205 | $265 | $305 | $325 |
| Administrative Fee | $30 one time | $30 one time | $30 one time | $30 one time |
Rewards
| Achievement Level | Recognition |
|---|---|
| Design of the Year | Highest scoring entry in each main category |
| Honorary Designer of the Year | Exceptional individual in a designated category |
| Platinum Winner | High scoring winner based on criteria |
| Gold Winner | Mid‑range scoring winner |
| Silver Winner | Recognized entries meeting quality thresholds |
Winners receive certificates, statuettes, and international recognition under each achievement level.
Dates
| Phase | Date |
|---|---|
| Early Bird | October 23 2025 to November 26 2025 |
| Regular | November 27 2025 to January 07 2026 |
| Final | January 08 2026 to February 11 2026 |
| Final Extension | February 12 2026 to March 12 2026 |
| Results Announcement | May 08 2026 |
✦ ArchUp Competition Review
Tokyo Design Awards 2026 is the name of an international design contest that covers all the major design disciplines, such as architecture, interior, product, landscape, and conceptual design. The jury is made up of a broad spectrum of seasoned experts from the global design, architecture, and creative industries, thus ensuring a variety of different expertise, even though the individual criteria for evaluation are not published. The contest is geared towards the professionals rather than marketing. The fees are quite large when compared with the extensive submission requirements, and the prizes are mainly in the form of recognition and certificates rather than direct project opportunities. The international recognition, portfolio improvement, and interaction with the highly regarded jury are the main advantages for the participants.
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Tokyo Design Awards 2026 is a broad platform for global design quality across different fields. The competition with its diverse and experienced jury is assessing the works of the participants mainly based on three criteria: creativity, impact, and execution. The tiered fee structure is flexible and allows participation at different levels, while the recognition offered also varies in terms of professional visibility degrees. The contest does provide the advantage of exposure along with awards, but at the same time, due to its large scope and fee requirements, it might only suit those participants who are looking to enhance their portfolios or gain international recognition rather than being able to secure project commissions or professional advancement.
Explore the Latest Architecture Exhibitions & Conferences
ArchUp offers daily updates on top global architectural exhibitions, design conferences, and professional art and design forums.
Follow key architecture competitions, check official results, and stay informed through the latest architectural news worldwide.
ArchUp is your encyclopedic hub for discovering events and design-driven opportunities across the globe.
Registration Deadline
Brought to you by the ArchUp Editorial Team
Inspiration starts here. Dive deeper into Architecture, Interior Design, Research, Cities, Design, and cutting-edge Projects on ArchUp
