Takao Saito is seen standing alongside a life-size figure of Duke Togo, protagonist of "Golgo 13," at the Shimonoseki City Art Museum in Yamaguchi Prefecture on Feb. 1, 2019. (Mainichi/Rika Uemura)

       Takao Saito, the Japanese manga artist known for "Golgo 13," "Muyonosuke" and other works died of pancreatic cancer at age 84 on Sept. 24.

       His funeral was attended only by close relatives. Born in Wakayama Prefecture, Saito had been passionate about movies since he was a junior high schooler, and the influence of American comics brought to Japan by allied occupation forces led him to aspire to be a manga artist.

       In 1968, Saito began "Golgo 13," a serial about a crack sniper of unknown nationality who never misses his target, in the Shogakukan Inc. manga magazine "Big Comic." His series "Muyonosuke," centering on a bounty hunter, was adapted into a TV drama. A live-action "Golgo 13" movie helped solidify the series' popularity.

       According to Shogakukan, "Golgo 13" will continue serialization.

       (Mainichi)

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