Yūta serves as Mana Inuyama's middle school classmate in the 2018 anime series. Alarmed by mysterious incidents transforming people into trees, he attributes them to yōkai activity. This conviction drives him to propose contacting the supernatural expert Kitarō for assistance. Yūta possesses specific knowledge about the Yōkai Post, the method for summoning Kitarō, and shares these details with Mana and their classmates. Despite skepticism from others, he persists in urging them to acknowledge the supernatural danger. Mana supports his effort by writing a letter to Kitarō and delivering it to the Yōkai Post as Yūta instructs. After the letter is sent, Yūta thanks Mana for believing him before leaving. His actions directly instigate the series' first major incident, leading to Kitarō's intervention against the Vampire Tree threat caused by the yōkai Nobiagari.