In Jinchiku Igai, a collection of short stories by Tobira Oda, mythical creatures and yokai live quietly among humans, blending into everyday life. These beings are harmless to people and animals—often called “non-humans” or “jinchiku igai”—and they go about their modest existences in modern Japanese society. A zashiki warashi watches over a neglected child from the shadows. A snow man, born with a permanent chill, struggles to stay warm. A three-headed cerberus wanders the streets hoping to find an owner. A gentle namahage strolls through town asking, “Are there any bad children here?” Each story stands alone, capturing a single moment or a small slice of life: a baku that devours all kinds of dreams, a yamakopter that timidly travels from mountain to sea, a woman who practices the rites of the hour of the ox, and a zashiki warashi rumored to ruin people’s motivation. The tone is quietly humorous and slightly melancholic, with a touch of the surreal. The chapters are brief, focusing on the bittersweet ordinariness of these creatures’ days. The collection continues to expand, offering new vignettes of these gentle, out-of-place beings navigating the human world.