Futabasha Publishers Ltd. said Sept. 21 that Yoshito Usui, creator of the popular Crayon Shin-chan comic book and animated TV series, took a photo near the edge of a 100-meter-high cliff shortly before he apparently fell to his death.

Usui, 51, was found dead Sept. 19 at the base of the Tomoiwa cliff on Mount Arafune on the border between Gunma and Nagano prefectures.

Identification of his body wasn't possible until Sept. 20 because of poor access to the rugged area.

Police also recovered Usui's broken digital camera.

At a news conference in Tokyo, Futabasha officials said the camera held about 30 photos and that the final shot was taken from the edge of the cliff, looking down toward its base.

"Usui apparently took that one last shot, and then slipped and fell," an official said. "We are completely shocked with this consequence."