The creator of "Ojaru Maru," a popular NHK cartoon aimed at young children, was found dead on the roof of a building next to her condominium in Musashino, western Tokyo, in an apparent suicide, police said Monday.
Rin Inumaru, 48, who also wrote picture books for children and novels, left a suicide note at her home addressed to her mother, saying, "I'm not good at my job."
"Ojaru Maru," shown daily on NHK, is the story of a 5-year-old boy from 1,000 years ago who is transported through time and lives with a family in modern-day Japan. Inumaru came up with the concept and characters for the story.
Inumaru apparently jumped about 19 meters from the roof of a 14-story condominium complex in the Kichijoji district at around 1:30 p.m. Sunday. She landed on the roof of a neighboring five-story building.