Kazuo Takahashi, who used the pen name Kazuki Takahashi, creator of the Japanese manga series Yu-Gi-Oh! which spawned a hit global franchise of card games, anime, toys, video games and spin-off manga series, was found dead on Wednesday at the age of 60.
Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that Takahashi’s body was found by the Coast Guard about 1,000 feet from shore in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture. Reports stated that he was found wearing a snorkel mask and fins, and an investigation into the cause of death is currently underway. The Coast Guard connected the body to Takahashi when his rental car, reported missing by the company, was found about seven miles from the body.
Takahashi’s original Yu-Gi-Oh! manga series ran from 1996-2004 in the Weekly Shonen Jump. The manga was then adapted in 1998 as an anime series of the same name by Toei Animation, followed by a feature release in March 1999.