Takahashi Kazuki, Japanese manga artist and author of internationally popular manga Yu-Gi-Oh!was found dead at sea off the coast Japanese Okinawa Island on Wednesday.
According to Japanese broadcaster NHK, the artist’s body was discovered underwater about 300 meters from the shore. He was wearing snorkeling gear at the time of his death, the outlet said.
Kazuki was 60 years old.
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A local resident said Kazuki’s body was in the water, as he was seen “submerged in the water”, NHK said.
The fire brigade responded to the report and Kazuki was pronounced dead at the scene. He visited Okinawa alone.
Kazuki’s body remained unidentified until Thursday when the Japan Coast Guard also found a rental car used by the artist on a nearby farm road.
The Japan Coast Guard is currently investigating Kazuki’s death.
A spokesman for the coast guard said: “We are investigating the incident as it could have been an accident or a crime.
There are conflicting reports about his physical condition. NHK reported that there were no noticeable injuries on the artist’s body. Additionally, NBC News, which spoke with Coast Guard Area 11 Command in Okinawa, wrote that there were “injuries on his body that looked like they were caused by some kind of marine animal. “.
Kazuki, whose real name is Takahashi Kazuo, has been a popular figure in the manga community for decades now.
He started his career as a Japanese-style manga artist in the early 1980s.
The creation Yu-Gi-Oh! – serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump – was his greatest success. The series revolves around an ancient puzzle and a young, spiky-haired protagonist who awakens an alternate personality in the game.
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The manga was produced between 1996 and 2004. NHK reports more than 40 million copies have been sold.
Yu-Gi-Oh! received international acclaim when the manga’s success led to the creation of an animated television series and a hugely popular trading card game.
The game was certified by the 2009 Guinness Book of World Records as one of the best-selling card trading games of all time. Konami Entertainment, the creator of the card game, estimated at more than 35 billion Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards have been sold worldwide. To this day, international Yu-Gi-Oh! Competitions are still going on.
Participants Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading card game champions compete against each other in Schkeuditz, Germany, May 18, 2013. More than 800 players competed against each other for the title of German champion in the Japanese card game.
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On social media, many fans of manga, anime and trading cards have paid their respects and mourned the passing of the influential artist.
In honor of the artist’s death, Studio Dice, Takahashi’s management company, has taken the brand’s website offline and turned it black.
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