Japanese folklore is populated by a rich array of mystical beings, all of whom (including the zashiki-warashi, a child-like house spirit, and the kappa, a water goblin) appear in the renowned Tōno folktales. These tales were recorded in the Tōno Monogatari (The Legends of Tōno), a treatise published in 1910 by folklorist Kunio Yanagita, who is now remembered as the founder of Japanese folklore studies. Passed down via an oral tradition that spans generations, the Tōno folktales continue to come to life in the local dialect thanks to a dedicated group of storytellers. Writer Takashi Sasaki visited Tōno and met to Sanomi Kudō, president of the Tōno Folktale Storytellers Association (the Tōno Monogatari Kataribe no Kai).