Doraemon co-creator Fujiko Fujio A, a famed Japanese manga artist, dies aged 88
- The artist, whose real name was Motoo Abiko, was found outside his home near Tokyo on Thursday
- He is known for beloved children’s cartoons including ‘Ninja Hattori’ and ‘Little Ghost Q-Taro’
Famed Japanese manga artist Fujiko Fujio A, a co-creator of the much-loved “Doraemon” cartoon, has died aged 88, local media reported on Thursday.
The artist, whose real name was Motoo Abiko, was found outside his home near Tokyo on Thursday, private broadcaster TBS and others said. He is known for beloved children’s cartoons including “Ninja Hattori” and “Little Ghost Q-Taro”.
Police declined to confirm the reports, but tributes to Abiko were tweeted by other artists and those in the publishing industry.
Abiko was the eldest son of a monk at a historic temple in central Toyama region. But his family left the temple after the death of Abiko’s father when he was in fifth grade.
“My father’s death changed my life the most. If he had not died, I think I would have been a monk,” he told the Asahi newspaper daily in 2020.
In high school, he became friends with Hiroshi Fujimoto, who later created “Doraemon”, and the pair started to work together.
