Missing 'Crayon Shin-chan' author pronounced dead
The Nohara family, from Yoshito Usui's popular manga Crayon
Shin-chan
Crayon Shin-chan author Yoshito Usui has been confirmed dead Sunday after having been missing since September 12.
51-year-old Usui, who had went hiking at Arafune mountain in Gunma prefecture on September 11, was reported missing by his wife when he did not return the night before.
His body was discovered by a male climber at 10:25 Saturday morning 120 meters below the mountain's Tomoiwa cliff. Police from nearby city Shimonita have said that he died from collapsed lungs and other injuries across his body.
Usui, who often had day-long hiking excursions, had expressed to friends and family before he left his intent to climb the mountain. There is no guardrail around the Tomoiwa cliff area, which is where authorities had been searching for him when he had been reported missing.
The Crayon Shin-chan manga is scheduled to run in Futabasha's Manga Town magazine through December's issue, as Usui had written comics in advance for those months. It is unclear whether or not the anime will air new episodes on October 16, as was scheduled.