Shiba, Mameda's father, was a tanuki who married Omasu in their village. Their union resulted in their daughter Mameda's birth. Following Omasu's death, Shiba began working in a human village yet regularly visited Mameda. During these visits, he shared stories about human life, maintaining a close bond with his daughter. He possessed a playful nature, enjoying pranks on humans like transforming into a fire wheel to race against a rickshaw in Osaka. However, he recognized human society's advancement made traditional tanuki tricks increasingly difficult. He believed tanuki would eventually need to live apart from humans as ordinary animals for safety and peace, albeit more isolatedly.

His time among humans gradually weakened his physical condition. He died after saving a human child from a wild dog, an act that worsened his already frail state. His death left Mameda without her remaining parent, influencing her decision to travel to Osaka where he had lived.

In the afterlife, Shiba manifested as a young boy and operated a kindergarten for deceased children, utilizing his transformation abilities to entertain them. When Mameda temporarily journeyed to this realm, he initially mistook her presence as an indication of her death, causing him distress. After reuniting and recognizing her, he prioritized her escape before sunrise to avoid capture by Oni guarding the Sanzu River. He devised a plan to bypass the river by tying Mameda to a dragon and directing it toward a cliff, sacrificing his chance to accompany her. As the Oni approached, he expressed regret for breaking his promise to stay with her.

His relationships were defined by devotion: he deeply loved Omasu during their marriage and maintained a warm, storytelling-based connection with Mameda through his visits, fostering her fascination with human experiences. His actions in life and death consistently reflected protective and selfless traits toward both family and humans.