Inumaru felt she “wasn’t good at job”

Rin Inumaru, the 48-year-old creator of “Ojaru Maru,” apparently jumped from the roof of her 14-story apartment complex in Tokyo on Sunday. She left a note, addressed to her mother, in which she said, “I’m not good at my job.”

Her show followed the exploits of a noble boy who is transported 1,000 years into the future to present-day Japan. It has aired five days a week on national broadcaster NHK since 1998. The 10-minute series is also screened in Spain and Italy. Inumaru also wrote children’s picture books and novels.

“We are very surprised at this sudden event,” NHK said in a statement. “From the start of the series, Inumaru has created so many characters and given us many splendid ideas for story lines.

“We are very thankful for her work and, thanks to her efforts, many children have watched the program.”