Mangaka and co-creator of Doraemon Motoo Abiko, better known under his pen name ‘Fujiko Fujio A’ passed away on Thursday morning at his residence in Kawasaki Tokyo. He was 88 years old.

The exact cause of Abiko’s death is currently unknown. It was reported to the police that someone in his apartment had collapsed however by the time they had arrived, Abiko had already passed on. He reportedly hadn’t sustained any suspicious injuries.

Fujiko Fujio A is most well known for his collaboration with Hiroshi Fujimoto or Fujiko F. Fujio in the creation of the beloved anime icon Doraemon, a robot cat from the future who came to the present and made friends with a boy named Nobita. Fujimoto passed away in 1996.

Doraemon has become one of the most popular anime characters across the world. The franchise has had numerous movies, video games, and three series of anime. The third Doraemon series began in 2005 and is still going to this day, remaining one of the most highly rated programs on television.

Motoo Abiko has gone on to create several other notable manga including Ninja Hattori Kun, Kaibutsu Kun, Pro Golfer Saru, and The Laughing Salesman. The 2017 anime adaptation of The Laughing Salesmen called ‘The Laughing Salesmen New’ is the latest of his work to be adapted into animated form.

Motoo Abiko or Fujiko Fujio A has certainly left his mark on the history of anime and manga. Millions of children across the world laughed and played alongside Doraemon and friends and we have this man to thank for that as the robot cat’s co-creator.

We give our deepest condolences to Motoo Abiko’s friends and family.