Akira Toriyama, Manga creator of Dragon Ball, dies aged 68

"It's our deep regret that he still had several works in the middle of creation with great enthusiasm," the studio said in a statement.

"He would have had many more things to achieve. He has left many manga titles and works of art to this world. Thanks to the support of so many people around the world, he has been able to continue his creative activities for over 45 years. We hope that Akira Toriyama’s unique world of creation continues to be loved by everyone for a long time to come.”

Toriyama found success in the manga industry with the creation of the Dr Slump series in the late 1970s, for which he won a Shogakukan Manga Award in 1981.

However, he became best known for comic series Dragon Ball, which follows a boy called Son Goku in his quest to collect magical dragon balls to protect Earth against alien humanoids called Saiyans.

Dragon Ball was first published in 1984 and went on to become one of the best-selling manga series ever, spawning cartoon and film versions. It is widely credited with popularising the medium of manga across the world.

In a 2013 interview with a Japanese newspaper Asahi, Toriyama said he had "no idea" how the comic series became so popular.

“Dragon Ball is like a miracle, given how it helped someone like me who has twisted, difficult personalities do a decent job and get accepted by society,” he said, according to news agency AFP.

"When I was drawing the series, all I ever wanted to achieve was to please boys in Japan," he added.

Tributes have been flooding in for Toriyama following the tragic news of his passing.

In a statement, One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda said: “The hole is too big. The thought of never seeing you again fills me with sadness. I’ve admired you so much since I was a child.”

Meanwhile, Naruto author Masashi Kishimoto said it was Toriyama’s characters that inspired him to become a manga artist.