TOKYO: Japanese manga artist George Akiyama, known as the author of the "Haguregumo" manga series, died on May 12, major publisher Shogakukan Inc. announced Monday. He was 77.

The manga creator, real name Yuji Akiyama, was born in Tokyo and grew up in Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture, eastern Japan.

He made his debut as a manga artist with the gag manga "Gaikotsu Kun" in 1966. In 1968, his manga series "Patman X" received an award for manga for children from publisher Kodansha Ltd.

He started writing the "Asura" and "Zeni Geba" series in 1970, both focused on human morals in extremis. The controversial works were ruled harmful in some areas in Japan, due to their violent and shocking depictions.

In 1973, Akiyama started working on the Haguregumo series, winning a manga award from Shogakukan. The work, literally meaning vagrant cloud, was made into television dramas twice. The series ended its 44-year run in 2017.

Other major works by Akiyama include "Pink no Curtain" and "Koiko no Mainichi."

JIJI Press