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The 58th SDA Award.

Japan Sign Design Award (as known as SDA Award) sponsored by Japan Sign Design Association (SDA) was established in 1966 for the purpose of promoting and educating the public about the sign design through presentation of signature design works to the wide society and it continues to be the only award program for sign design in Japan.
Sign Design is the creative act of arranging and shaping “information to be conveyed to people” in order to make the increasingly complex environment around us more comprehensible and attractive. Sign design is positioned as information that is indispensable for communication, and its design is expanding in a diverse range of ways. SDA’s mission is to evaluate high quality sign design through the selection of the Japan Sign Design Award, to share the value and role of sign design with as many people as possible, and to contribute to social activities. We look forward to your active participation.

58th Japan Sign Design Award Judging Results Announced

58th Japan Sign Design Award Judging Results *Sorry Japanese only 

The 58th Japan Sign Design Award Application Information *Applications are no longer being accepted.

Please be sure to download and read the Application Information.

Deadline for Application

Friday, May 31, 2024 24:00 JST

Annual schedule (currently reorganizing)

*The following is the initial schedule.
Application Period
Monday, April 1, 2024 to Friday, May 31 closes at 24:00 JST
Primary selection
Thursday, June 6, 2024 to Thursday, June 13 Web-based screening
Secondary selection
Monday, June 24, 2024
Final Review, SDA Contribution Award Review
Saturday, July 6, 2024 in Tokyo
Award Announcement
Early September 2024
Award Ceremony
Wednesday, December 4, 2024 in Tokyo
Publication in the Yearbook and Panel Exhibition Tour
Starting December 2024

Eligibility for Application

Signs completed in the year from May 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024.

Awards

Japan SDA Grand Prize – Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award (Provisional): 1 winner (Certificate and trophy)
SDA Award Gold Prize: 4 winners (Certificate and trophy)
SDA Award Silver Prize: 15 winners (Certificate and trophy)
SDA Award Bronze Prize: 30 winners (Certificate)
SDA Award Finalists: 100 winners (Certificate)
SDA Award Jury Selection: 7 winners (Certificate and trophy)
SDA Contribution Award – Chairman of Japan Institute of Design Promotion Award: maximum 2 winners (Certificate)
Number of the Grand Prize, Gold Prize, Silver Prize, Bronze Prize and selected entries will be determined by the final judging panel.

Jury

Jury President
Takeuchi Makoto
President, Takeuchi Design Inc.
President, Japan Sign Design Association
SDA Jury: Juries of selected SDA members (In alphabetical order, titles omitted)
Watanabe Taro
Representative, Emotional Space Design Inc.
Art Director
Vice President, Japan Sign Design Association
YAMADA KOZO
Representative, Tsukikage Design Consulting
Design Consultant
Vice President, Japan Sign Design Association
Takeyama Ryozo
Director and Vice President, University of Toyama
Executive Director, Japan Sign Design Association
Hiromura Masaaki
President, Hiromura Design Office
Graphic Designer
Miyazaki Kei
Representative Director, KMD Inc.
Creative Director
Regional jury(Primary screening only)
Director (Representative Secretary) from each region (Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa) and one SDA Award Selection Committee member from each region, nominated by regional representative secretary.
Secondary Selection Commissioned Jury (Tentative) (In no particular order, titles omitted)
Director, Design Policy Office, Commerce and Service Group, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
Bo Linnemann
Kontrapunkt
Partner and Chairman of Kontrapunkt Japan
Creative Director
Kobayashi Akira
Monotype KK
Creative Director
Iijima Naoki
Iijima Design
Interior Designer
Tezuka Yui
Representative Director, Tezuka Architects
Hanazawa Yuji
Editorial board member, Nikkei Design
Yoshiizumi Satoshi
Principal, TAKT PROJECT

Screening Dates

Primary Selection

Web-based screening
Thursday, June 6, 2024 to Thursday, June 13

Secondary Selection

Secondary Selection Meeting
Monday, June 24, 2024

Finmal Selection

Final Review Session
Saturday, July 6, 2024
in Tokyo

Selection Criteria

Sociality

Evaluation of the social significance and the effect of the project, such as the harmony with surrounding landscape or environment, and sustainability.

Informativeness

Evaluation of the work if it properly conveys the originator’s intention and provides appropriate communication.

Innovativeness

Evaluation of the work whether there is an unprecedented approach in the idea, the construction or the process.

Aesthetics

Evaluation of the beauty in the form, the material selection and the expression.


*In addition to the 4 items above, the entries should include safety into consideration.

Application Fee

Application fee is ¥11,000 (¥10,000 + consumption tax ¥1,000) for each entry. The application fee includes the examination fee for design concept and two image data. If you wish to submit more than one image data, additional examination fee of ¥1,650 (¥1,500 + consumption tax ¥150) is required for each additional image. If you wish to submit video data, an additional examination fee of ¥16,500 (¥15,000 + consumption tax ¥1,500) is required for each entry.

Publication in the Yearbook

The yearbook, “Annual of Spatial Design in Japan 2025 – Display, Sign and Commercial Environment” containing the works of award winners and the finalists will be published in December 2024 (scheduled) . The yearbook will be edited by Rikuyosha Inc. and the Yearbook Publication Committee formed by the members of the Kukan Design Organization, namely Japan Sign Design Association (SDA), The Japan Design Space Association (DSA) and Japan Commercial Environmental Design Association (JCD), and published by Rikuyosha Inc.

Sponsor

Supporting Organizations (scheduled)

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Japan Institute of Design Promotion
The Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Nikkei Inc.
Federation of Japan Out-door Advertising Associations
Japan Design Space Association
Nippon Display Federation
Japan Commercial Environmental Design Association
Japan Sign Association
Japanese Technical Organization for Commercial Spaces
Japan Promotional Marketing Institute Inc.
Japan Advertising Federation
Japan Advertisers Association Inc.
Japan Graphic Design Association Inc.
Japan Typography Association
Japan Industrial Design Association
(In no particular order)