Manabu Mizuno Designs Logo for 'PREMIUM JAPAN AWARD,' Special Dialogue Released with Panasonic Holdings Executive Shigeo Usui

The Japan Culture Creation Organization (JCCO) and Premium Japan are pleased to announce that Manabu Mizuno, Creative Director and representative of good design company, has created the brand design for 'PREMIUM JAPAN AWARD,' an award established to promote the essential values of Japanese culture to the world.

The overall concept and supervision of brand communication were led by Shigeo Usui, Director and Group Chief Creative Officer (CCO) at Panasonic Holdings Corporation and a board member of JCCO. In conjunction with this announcement, Premium Japan has released a special dialogue featuring both individuals.

Brand Design by Manabu Mizuno

'PREMIUM JAPAN AWARD' is an award created with the purpose of communicating the essential values of Japanese culture domestically and internationally. For this brand design project, Usui conceived and supervised the overall brand communication strategy aimed at conveying Japanese culture to the world. Based on this vision, Mizuno designed both the award logo and the Premium Japan brand logo. The logos express the aesthetic sense, dignity, and universality inherent in Japanese culture through a contemporary sensibility, symbolizing the intent to share Japanese culture with the world.

Special Dialogue Released

Coinciding with the release of the brand design, Premium Japan has published a special dialogue between Usui and Mizuno, who jointly led this project. The dialogue covers a wide range of topics, including the significance of promoting Japanese culture globally, the Japanese design philosophy of 'aesthetic minimalism' and functional beauty, the importance of branding, the role of storytelling in craftsmanship, and the aesthetic sensibility required in the AI era. Both also share their personal insights on the intentions behind the award's brand design and the role design plays in conveying Japanese culture to the world.

▼ The published article can be found here:

What Lies Beyond Functional Beauty: When Japanese Design Reaches the World

Shigeo Usui, Executive Officer, Panasonic Holdings × Manabu Mizuno, Representative, good design company

https://www.premium-j.jp/pjaward/20260715_75023/

Profile of Manabu Mizuno

Representative of good design company. Creative Director and Creative Consultant.

Born in Tokyo in 1972. Mizuno leads comprehensive, cross-disciplinary creative direction spanning concept development, planning, graphic design, product design, spatial design, and advertising, all grounded in long-term brand strategy. His major projects include work for Panasonic, Sagami Railway Group, Kumamoto Prefecture's 'Kumamon,' Mitsui Fudosan, HOTEL THE MITSUI, JR East Japan's 'JRE POINT,' Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten, Oisix, Hisamoto Honke's 'Kayanoya,' Kuroki Honten, and Saishunkan Pharmaceutical's 'DHC.' He has received numerous awards both in Japan and internationally. His publications include 'No Longer Chasing Time: Reverse Time Management' (Diamond Inc.), 'Sensitivity Begins with Knowledge,' and 'The Art of Work: Creating a Worldview with Sensibility and Intellect' (co-authored with Shu Yamaguchi, both published by Asahi Shimbun Publishing).

About the Japan Culture Creation Organization (JCCO)

Founded in December 2024 with the mission of 'Sharing Japanese Culture with the World.' JCCO aims to promote Japanese culture not only within Japan but also internationally, deepening global understanding of Japan by conveying cultural content along with its background stories. https://jcco.jp/

About PREMIUM JAPAN

Launched in 2015 as an online media platform. Under the concept of 'Sharing Japan's Premium with the World,' it delivers enriching, high-quality content on food, travel, traditional culture, craftsmanship, and interviews. All articles are published not only in Japanese but also in English, French, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. With a team of veteran writers, the platform emphasizes beautiful photography and high-quality writing, covering Japanese food, travel, and traditions. It also organizes various initiatives leveraging its content, such as cultural and culinary events and seminars for affluent audiences. https://www.premium-j.jp/

Contact: Japan Culture Creation Organization (JCCO) [email protected]