The creator of the popular “Crayon Shinchan” has gone missing, it was revealed yesterday. The family of manga-ka Usui Yoshito (51) asked police in his hometown of Kasukabe in Saitama Prefecture to start a search investigation on September 12, saying they had been unable to contact him since the previous day. Police have asked the surrounding prefectures to assist in the search.
Usui first published “Crayon Shinchan” in Futabasha’s “Weekly Manga Action” in 1990, and it continues to appear in the company’s “Manga Town.” It was adapted into an anime in 1992 and has since run on TV Asahi on Friday evenings and has been broadcast in many countries worldwide. Based around the adventures of 4-year-old pre-schooler Nohara Shinnosuke, the character’s lewd and foul-mouthed behavior has made him hugely popular with kids but widely despised by parents. A big screen version is released every year to coincide with the Golden Week spring break and consistently makes over ¥1 billion at the box office. Crayon Shinchan was officially made a citizen of Kasukabe (a right denied many real, but not Japan-born, residents) in 2004.
Comedian Yasuda Hiromi (35) gave a press conference in Tokyo yesterday to formally announce his engagement to talento Iwata Sachi (27). As Yasuda underwent emergency surgery in July to save a twisted testicle, reporters yesterday focused on whether he was able to have a normal sex life. In no uncertain terms, he reassured them that he is, “It was about a week after the surgery. It hurt a bit but felt pretty good!” The dancho (leader) of the comedy trio Yasuda Dai Circus, he and Iwata met two years ago at an event in Nagoya. Kansai TV planned a special show featuring Yasuda cycling 550km from Osaka to Tokyo to propose to Iwata at the end of August.