Announcing the Winners of the 'Rubyful Award 2026' and 'Ruby-Tomo Award 2026' Celebrating Books Made Accessible Through Furigana

The Ruby Foundation, an organization dedicated to creating a 'Rubyful' society where everyone can learn easily through the appropriate use of furigana (ruby), announced the winners of the 'Rubyful Award 2026' and 'Ruby-Tomo Award 2026' on June 2nd, known as 'Ruby Day.'

*June 2nd is designated as 'Ruby Day' based on the Japanese wordplay for 'Ru' (6) and 'Bi' (2).

◆ Rubyful Award 2026 The Rubyful Award honors books that reached readers specifically because of the inclusion of furigana. Reading difficulties often stem not just from content, but from the inability to read kanji. Ruby removes these barriers and opens reading opportunities to more people. This award highlights books that expand the circle of 'readers' through extensive use of ruby.

Ten works were selected, including 'Handy Edition: A Guide to What Might Be a Crime' and 'I Want to Design for Everyone to Read: I am a Typeface Designer.' Selection criteria included extensive use of ruby in content where it is usually absent, the strong intent of authors and editors, and high reader acclaim.

◆ Ruby-Tomo Award 2026 The Ruby-Tomo Award recognizes individuals and organizations that have contributed to the promotion of ruby. Twelve recipients were honored, including the Asahi Shogakusei Shimbun, Canva Japan K.K., and the NPO eboard, for their contributions to accessibility, social infrastructure, and the promotion of ruby as a design element.

The Ruby Foundation continues to promote the use of ruby in publications and digital content to build a society where everyone can live comfortably.