Hinako Ashihara

Ritsuko Matsumoto (松本 律子), known by the pseudonym Hinako Ashihara (芦原 妃名子), was a Japanese manga artist.

She wrote and illustrated various manga series, including, Homemade Home, Forbidden Dance, Sand Chronicles, Piece: Kanojo no Kioku, Tennen Bitter Chocolate, SOS, and Chouchou Kumo.

Ashihara won the 50th Shogakukan Manga Award for her manga series Sand Chronicles, as well as the 58th Shogakukan Manga Award for Piece: Kanojo no Kioku.

Her first published work, "Sono hanashi okotowari shimasu" (lit. "That Sweet Organ Song"), premiered in Bessatsu Shōjo Comic in 1994 and was included in the book SOS.

Ashihara was found dead in Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture on January 29, 2024, in a suspected suicide.

A missing persons report was filed the day before at 4 PM when police received a call that Ashihara was missing.

Three days before the discovery of her body, Ashihara posted on her blog, criticizing Nippon TV for their television drama adaptation of her manga Sexy Tanaka-san for being unfaithful to the original.

She later deleted the blog post and apologized.

On February 15, 2024, NTV issued a press statement where they apologized to Ashihara's family and the TV drama's cast and crew, additionally stating that they have launched an inquiry with Shogakukan's representatives.