Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii becomes first video game creator to be awarded the Order of the Rising Sun by the Japanese government
Blog Andrew Joseph 04 Nov , 2025 0
In its autumn honors list, the Japanese government awarded Dragon Quest founder Yuji Horii the Order of the Rising Sun. This is one of the highest awards the Japanese government bestows on its citizens. It is awarded to those who have made significant contributions in their respective fields, and Horii is the first game creator to receive the award.
“I think it's a great honor and I'm surprised.” Horii responded in the video interview TBS. “I've been making games for a long time, about 40 years, but I don't do it alone. It's all thanks to the people who work with me on making games, and all the players who continue to support us.”
Yuji Horii's first match was at Love Match Tennis in 1983. Participate in gaming competitions There it caught Enix's attention. Next up is the genre-defining visual novel mystery The Portopia Murders. He is best known for his work on game design and scenery for Enix's long-running Dragon Quest series (1986-present).
Square Enix's recent 2D high-definition remasters of Dragon Quest I, II, and III have brought renewed attention to the RPG series' origins. Currently, Horii is still hard at work on Dragon Quest XII: Fire of Destiny, the highly anticipated next game that was announced during the 35th anniversary celebrations in 2021.
in May, Horii confirmed Dragon Quest XII: Fire of Destiny not canceled. “Yes, indeed, I can't say anything, I'm sorry,” he said at the time. “I'm making it and putting in a lot of hard work… All I can say is that the next one will be great too, I'm working really hard on it. Please stay tuned, that's the only thing I can say.” This will be the first mainline entry since 2017 Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age.
In the TBS interview, Horii also had words of encouragement for would-be creators: “It's important to actually create something tangible, not just think about it,” he advised. “Try it.”
The Knights of the Rising Sun currently have six levels. It is reported Japan NetYuji Horii won the fourth prize: golden rosette. Other recipients of this special award in 2025 include Devilman and Cutie Honey manga artist Go Nagai.
Photograph: Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP via Getty Images.
Verity Townsend is a Japanese freelance writer who worked as an editor, writer, and translator for the gaming news site Automaton West. She also writes about Japanese culture and film for various publications.