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Creator of the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise Kazuki Takahashi, one of the most respected manga artists and game creators in the world, passed away on Wednesday, July 6, at the age of 60. Takahashi’s body was found 300 meters off the shore of Nago, near the coast of Awa in Okinawa, by Japanese Coast Guard officers after a civilian reported the same from a passing boat.
Reportedly, Takahashi went snorkeling alone, and he was found with all his snorkeling gear intact on his body. The news of his death has come as a shock to all his fans who are devastated.
Kazuki Takahashi’s cause of death explored
Takahashi’s body was discovered at around 10:30 JST on Wednesday, July 6, 2022, by a passing boat named the Japanese Maritime Hotline 118, as reported by the public broadcaster NHK. Takahashi’s body was found floating 300 meters offshore and had to be pulled from the water.
NHK also reported that Takahashi had been traveling to Okinawa Prefecture alone, and had rented a car from a rental company for that purpose. Takahashi’s car was found approximately 12 km away from his body.
The Japanese police retrieved the body and then discovered that the man in question was the famous manga artist Kazuo Takahashi, widely known as Kazuki Takahashi. After assessing the dead body, the Coast Guard stated that Takahashi might have died one or two days prior.
Reports released after a thorough inspection of the body revealed that Takahashi had been attacked by a reef shark while snorkeling. Police have confirmed that Takahashi’s body has sustained several injuries, mostly to the belly and lower parts of the body. A marine expert has confirmed the injuries being caused by a reef shark attack.
Remembering Kazuki Takahashi
The sudden demise of Kazuki Takahashi has taken the anime community by storm. Die-hard fans of Yu-Gi-Oh! are having a hard time getting over the news of their favorite author passing away. Kazuki Takahashi’s love for snorkeling came as a surprise to many fans as he was mostly found to indulge in indoor pursuits like shogi, mahjong, card games, and tabletop role-playing games.
Takahashi is acclaimed for being the one of the most passionate manga artists in the industry. He started with Tennenshoku Danji Buray in 1990 but could not make a significant mark. However, he experienced soaring success after creating Yu-Gi-Oh! In 1996.
Takahashi's Yu-Gi-Oh! manga led to the creation of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game, which became the top-selling trading card game in the world, as per Guinness World Records on July 7, 2009, with 22 billion cards being sold worldwide. Currently, the game has sold over 35 million cards worldwide, grossing over a trillion.
