A body found on a mountain in Japan was confirmed as popular cartoonist Yoshito Usui, whose manga and animation series Shin-chan has attracted a worldwide fan base.

Usui (51), had been missing for more than a week when a body covered in bruises was found on Saturday by a climber in a mountain range straddling Gunma and Nagano prefectures, Kyodo News agency reported.

The report said his family confirmed it was the cartoonist and quoted police as saying he may have fallen from a climbing path. It added there was no sign of a suicide note.

Usui had been missing since September 11 after telling his family that he would be hiking on the mountain and would be back by the evening.

When he failed to return they contacted police. Usui made his debut in 1987 and gained popularity in the 1990s with Crayon Shin-chan.