Due to his grandmother's gift, Natsume has always felt like an outsider as he inherited the ability to see yokai. Upon relocating to his grandmother's hometown, he inadvertently releases a trapped yokai from a Lucky Cat figurine and discovers the existence of the "Book of Friends." This book chronicles the yokai his grandmother conquered and provides its possessor with a means to control them. As a result, yokai frequently approach Natsume, eager to retrieve their names or take ownership of the powerful tome.