Japanese folklore and horror stories are known for their psychologically terrifying ghosts and monsters that prey on the minds and bodies of humans. For some of the most horrific examples, one need look no further than the Japanese horror boom of the early 2000’s, with the likes of The Ring and The Grudge introducing the west to a new, iconic generation of supernatural villains.

But there’s also a lighter side to Japanese folklore, where bumbling spirits cause only mild annoyance, actually enhance your daily life, and otherwise generally botch the whole job of haunting mankind and teaching vague moral lessons about treating your parents with respect and such. Here are our top eight most hilariously nonthreatening monsters – called Yokai – from Japanese stories:

Nurikabe

The Nurikabe is a sentient wall that’s said to be impossible to walk around or climb. It doesn’t seem to have any nefarious intentions and…

It’s winter. It’s dark. It’s cold. It’s probably still Monday. And this rat is stuck on an endless staircase.

In strangely mesmerising footage that could see us through to the other side of the shortest day of the year, the rodent struggles to break free from the escalator’s inexorable cycle.

Jonathan Beilin, the man who filmed the video on San Francisco’s Bart public transport network, said he tried to free the rat from his ouroboros-like existence by creating a makeshift ramp with a book.

But the rat ignored his rescue attempt and kept on running, running – he’s probably still there now.