TOKYO : Tributes poured in on Monday for the late Japanese cartoonist Yoshito Usui after it was confirmed that the bruised body found on a mountain belonged to the creator of the popular "Crayon Shin-chan" animation series.

The 51-year-old went missing after he left his home in a suburban city north of Tokyo on September 11 for a mountain day-trip alone in nearby Gunma.

A fellow hiker found a body on Saturday and was confirmed to be Usui's by his family on Sunday.

Described as a recluse who was married with two daughters, police and reports revealed that Usui fell and there was no suicide involved.

Monday saw the celebration of the Respect for the Aged holiday being dampened by news of Usui's death in Kasukabe, otherwise known as a suburban city outside Tokyo

where the cartoonist lived and set the "Crayon Shin-chan" story.

A statement by publisher Futabasha that has released some of his comics said, "We had been praying for Mr Usui's safety with his family but now feel the utmost regret over how things have turned out. We are in a big shock."

A Futabasha spokesperson said that the last photograph taken on Usui's broken digital camera found near his body was one peering down a steep cliff.

"As he was full of curiosity, we think he fell off at the moment he took the picture."

Usi made his debut in 1987 as a manga artist and became popular in the 1990s with "Crayon Shin-chan."

Selling 50 million copies in Japan alone, the manga attracted a world wide fan base and has been translated in 14 different countries. It has been adapted into an animated series aired in 30 countries and has spawned anime films.

Featuring the daily life of Shinnosuke, a mischievous five-year-old boy obsessed with bodily functions and older girls, the character is also known to embarrass his parents and kindergarten teachers by pulling down his trousers and shaking his hips while cracking indecent jokes.

The antics of Shinnosuke were deemed unsuitable behaviour for children and have prompted parents-teachers' associations in Japan to black list the cartoon. However, the character has recently been used in educational material.