Yuji Horii—widely known as the “father of the Dragon Quest series”—has made headlines as the first Japanese game developer to receive the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette (旭日小綬章).

The Order of the Rising Sun is a Japanese decoration conferred on individuals who have achieved distinguished merit, with particular emphasis on the nature of their public service. It is awarded across a wide range of fields, including politics, economics, society, education, culture, sports, and the environment. In Korea, the late Min Yeong-hwan, remembered as a loyal statesman of the late Joseon era, received the order’s highest class, the Grand Cordon. In addition, Lee Seong-dae and Shin Yun-chan—the father and mother of Lee Soo-hyun, who died in the Shin-Okubo Station rescue incident and thereafter worked to promote Korea–Japan friendship—were awarded the Gold and Silver Rays.

Horii was decorated in recognition of his pioneering contributions to the RPG genre in Japanese arts and culture, as well as his service in advancing the game industry—making him the first honoree from the ranks of game developers.

Regarding the honor, Horii shared the following remarks: “I am truly overwhelmed to receive such an honorable award. This recognition is by no means something I achieved on my own. I owe it to all the players who have enjoyed our games, to the development staff who have created these works with me, and to everyone involved with our titles. I am sincerely grateful.

There was a time when games were regarded as ‘an undesirable form of entertainment.’ If a child played games, parents or teachers might scold them. But at some point, games grew into one of Japan’s representative industries and developed into a culture we can proudly share with the world.

I’ve been told this is the first time a game creator has received such a decoration. I accept it with great joy, believing it reflects a judgment that games contribute to social progress. I consider this award to have been received on behalf of everyone connected to games, and I hope it can give hope to the younger generation who dream of becoming game creators.”

This article was translated from the original that appeared on INVEN.