Hirofumi Kamigaki

I wanted to see how our work resonates with people worldwide, beyond our own borders. To me, this win is not just a personal achievement; it is a recognition of my team's hard work and, above all, it is thanks to our readers around the world who always enjoy and support our work.

We receive many heartwarming messages from all over the world saying, "We had a wonderful time together as a family, thank you!" These voices have increasingly led to our next projects. In a digital age where individuals often look at their own separate small screens, it makes me very happy and warm to think that people are spending time together around a single illustration. We incorporate various elements into our work regardless of nationality or race. It is my hope that by having many different people enjoy our work, it might contribute, even in a small way, to world peace.

I don’t believe it's because we are special, but rather because everyone involved—the team, the editors, and the publishers—refused to compromise on the smallest details. Perhaps the judges felt the collective obsession of a team that hides playful surprises in every corner of the story.

The sheer volume of detail required meant we were constantly racing against the clock. While our editorial team provided immense support, our studio also implemented various internal strategies and creative ways to keep the team's motivation high and maintain a healthy environment throughout the process.

This honor will be a great boost of confidence for our staff, publishers, and editors. I hope it makes it easier for us to reach an even broader audience and share our work with more people across the globe.

Seeing photos from international fans dressed up as "Pierre," families enjoying the books together, and hearing that our work provided a small moment of joy for those evacuated from war zones has been incredibly moving. Each of these stories has become a major source of motivation for us.

It's all about "quantity." People often debate quality versus quantity, but quality is something that improves naturally as you produce a large volume of work. Focusing too much on quality at the very beginning can sometimes be a way of making excuses. Almost everyone I know who has succeeded produces a staggering amount of work.

To be honest, the changes are scary, and I don't know what the future holds. However, I feel the walls of language disappearing and see creations from all over the world blending together. We aim to be "content makers"—rather than competing with AI, we want to be on the side that creates original content.

Similar to what I said about quantity, there is so much to be gained by challenging yourself in any way possible. It does require some financial investment, but if you have the means, I highly recommend going for it. The process itself is incredibly valuable.

I hope we can maintain a world where we can all continue to enjoy the act of creation for a long time. Let's keep making great things together.

Above all, I would like to dedicate this achievement to our readers around the world who always enjoy our work and send us their warm support. Your smiles and reactions are the primary reason we keep drawing. I also want to dedicate this to every member of IC4DESIGN and to the publishers and editors who turned our ideas into reality. This work would never have come to life without your patient support and the trust you placed in us.

"An invitation to the world, packed with countless layers of gratitude and passion." The reason is that our work is more than just an illustration; we want it to be a "place" where anyone, regardless of nationality or age, can step into an intricate world, get lost, and enjoy new discoveries. At the heart of our creation is the desire to provide an experience where parents and children can talk over a single picture, and readers worldwide can share the same sense of wonder.

We currently have several new book projects and large-scale installations in progress. We look forward to continuing to create "dense narratives" that surprise and delight everyone.