Carrying Yamanashi's Design Legacy into the Future: Call for Entries Now Open for the 2nd 'Yamanashi Design Selection'!

The Yamanashi Design Center is launching the 'Yamanashi Design Selection' initiative to recognize and promote creative talent and aesthetic sensibilities rooted in the local community.

This project aims to discover and honor outstanding designs inspired by Yamanashi's climate, history, culture, industries, and daily life, and to widely promote them in order to enhance the overall design and brand power of Yamanashi.

In its inaugural year last year, the selection received 137 entries, with 83 advancing to the second round and 10 ultimately selected through final judging.

We are now pleased to announce that entries for the 2nd edition will be accepted starting July 1, 2026 (Wed).

We sincerely look forward to your participation.

[Call for Entries: Eligibility and Application Methods]

Application Period

July 1, 2026 (Wed) – September 30, 2026 (Wed)

Eligibility

Products ('things') with a connection to Yamanashi:

・ Products rooted in Yamanashi's environment, culture, industries, or history

・ Products that utilize local resources or regional materials

・ Products inspired by Yamanashi or that evoke the image of Yamanashi

・ Sustainable products that contribute to Yamanashi's future

・ Products widely loved by locals and embedded in everyday community life

Entry Categories

【1】Product Design

Design of the product ('thing') itself

【2】Integrated Design

Design and its narrative that holistically encompasses a 'product' created through projects, activities, systems, regional design, branding initiatives, and their processes and outcomes

How to Apply

Download the entry form for your chosen category from the official Yamanashi Design Selection website and submit it via email, mail, or in person.

Entry and Inquiry Contact

Yamanashi Design Center

Address: 1-6-1 Marunouchi, Kofu City, 400-8501 (2nd floor, Prefectural Disaster Prevention New Building)

TEL: 055-223-1796 (Weekdays 9:00–17:00)

E-mail: ydc-ds@pref.yamanashi.lg.jp

[Judging Panel and Schedule]

Judging Panel

Kazufumi Nagai

Chief Design Officer (CDO) of Yamanashi Prefecture and Director of the Yamanashi Design Center

Professor, Department of Integrated Design, Faculty of Art, Tama Art University

Representative Director and President, HAKUHODO DESIGN Inc.

Naoto Fukasawa

Design Director (DD) of Yamanashi Prefecture

Product designer born in Yamanashi Prefecture

Vice President, Tama Art University

Representative, NAOTO FUKASAWA DESIGN

Director, Japan Folk Crafts Museum

Fumie Shibata

Design Director (DD) of Yamanashi Prefecture

Product designer born in Yamanashi Prefecture

Professor, Department of Integrated Design, Faculty of Art, Tama Art University

Representative, DESIGN STUDIO S

Chiai Hayashi

Design Director (DD) of Yamanashi Prefecture

Representative Director and President, Q0 Inc.

Chairman of the Board, Hida no Mori de Kuma wa Odoru Inc.

Schedule

First (document-based) screening: Early to late October

Final (product-based) screening: November 16 (Mon)

Award Ceremony and Talk Event: January 22, 2027 (Fri)

Exhibition: February 2027

Number of Awarded Products

Approximately 10 products will be selected for the Yamanashi Design Selection

Post-selection Activities for Awarded Products

◆ Commentary by the judging panel

◆ Publication on the official Yamanashi Design Selection website

◆ Publicity and feature articles in media outlets inside and outside Yamanashi Prefecture

◆ Exhibition (within Yamanashi Prefecture)

* For more details, please visit the official website or refer to the promotional flyer. Official Yamanashi Design Selection website https://ydc.pref.yamanashi.jp/yamanashi-design-selection/

◆ About the Yamanashi Design Center ◆

Opened on November 20, 2025, on the 2nd floor of the Prefectural Disaster Prevention New Building in Kofu City, serving as a new hub for design promotion.

Its core philosophy is 'Making Yamanashi resilient and beautiful through design.' Centered on 'policy design,' 'regional design,' and 'product design,' the center aims to revitalize local communities and address social challenges through design.

To cultivate design-minded talent across diverse age groups, the center collaborates with various institutions such as Tama Art University to provide learning opportunities tailored to different generations.

The facility features a simple, calm, white-based design. The 125 m2 floor space includes a community area for designer networking and design seminars, as well as an exhibition area for showcasing and presenting works.