Yanagita Kunio generally distinguishes "yūrei" from "obake" by noting that "yūrei" tend to have a specific purpose for their haunting, such as vengeance or completing unfinished business. While for many "yūrei" this business is concluded, some "yūrei", such as Okiku, remain earthbound due to the fact that their business is not possible to complete. In the case of Okiku, this business is counting plates hoping to find a full set, but the last plate is invariably missing or broken according to the different retellings of the story. This means that their spirit can never find peace, and thus will remain a "jibakurei".