But he isn't done writing Death Note...

From Mainichi Daily News:

'Death Note' cartoonist arrested for possessing knife
Cartoonist Takeshi Obata, author of the famous "Death Note" manga series, has been arrested for illegal possession of a knife, police said.
An officer questioned Obata, 37, in Tokyo's Nerima-ku after he was driving his car with the headlights off shortly before 1 a.m. on Wednesday.
Obata, from Musashino, was arrested on the spot for possessing a knife.
Obata made his debut as a cartoonist in 1989. He won a prize for his work, "Hikaru no Go," in 2003. (Mainichi)