Shigeru Miyamoto

Shigeru Miyamoto is a Japanese game creator whose work at Nintendo is associated with the Super Mario, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, and Pikmin series. As of August 2026, Nintendo lists him as an Executive Fellow, Representative Director, and member of its board.

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About Shigeru Miyamoto

Profile information current to 2026-08-22.

Japan · Game creator · 1 affiliation

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Known for: Super Mario series; The Legend of Zelda series; Donkey Kong series; Pikmin series
Country: Japan

Game creator

At a glance

Miyamoto joined Nintendo in 1977 and became associated with several of its best-known game series.
Nintendo identifies Miyamoto as the creator of Mario, who first appeared as Jumpman in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong.
As of August 2026, Nintendo lists Miyamoto as an Executive Fellow, Representative Director, and member of the board.
His honors include the 2010 BAFTA Fellowship and the 2012 Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities.

Background and entry into Nintendo

Miyamoto was born in 1952 in Sonobe, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. He graduated from Kanazawa College of Art and Industrial Design in 1977 and joined Nintendo that year.

Game creation and major series

Nintendo associates Miyamoto with the creation of the Super Mario, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, and Pikmin series. Donkey Kong, released in 1981, introduced the character later known as Mario under the name Jumpman and marked an early milestone in Miyamoto's work at the company.

Corporate role

Miyamoto's association with Nintendo extends beyond game creation. As of August 2026, the company identifies him as an Executive Fellow, Representative Director, and member of its board; these titles and the board's composition may change over time.

Public recognition

Miyamoto received the BAFTA Fellowship in 2010 and the Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities in 2012. These institutional honors recognize his career in video games and communication.

Affiliations

Nintendo Co., Ltd. Executive Fellow, Representative Director, Member of the Board present

Timeline

1952 Born in Sonobe, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
1977 Graduated from Kanazawa College of Art and Industrial Design and joined Nintendo.
1981 Nintendo released Donkey Kong, which the company attributes to Miyamoto and identifies as Mario's first appearance, under the name Jumpman.
2010-03-19 Received the BAFTA Fellowship at the British Academy Video Games Awards.
2012 Received the Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities.

Additional verified details

Current context

Nintendo lists Shigeru Miyamoto as Executive Fellow and Representative Director, Member of the Board. Corporate titles and board composition may change; this reflects Nintendo's official corporate pages as accessed.

Biographical facts

Miyamoto was born in 1952 in Sonobe, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
He graduated from Kanazawa College of Art and Industrial Design in 1977.
Miyamoto joined Nintendo in 1977.
Nintendo states that Mario was created by Miyamoto and first appeared as Jumpman in the 1981 Donkey Kong arcade game.
Miyamoto received the BAFTA Fellowship in 2010.
Miyamoto received the 2012 Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities.