Tsurube-Otoshi - 釣瓶落とし - [Yokai]

Tsurube-otoshi (JP: 釣瓶落とし) - Cruel, malicious disembodied heads, that lurk at the tops of trees (who knows how they get up there without arms.) they fall onto whoever passes by underneath crushing them with their heavy jawline. They can be as small as a childs head or oversized to be around the size of a car. The smaller heads tend to attack in groups.

when they aren't dropping down to eat people alive, they're pulling mean pranks like dropping well buckets, pans or large rocks down on peoples heads in the dead of night: before they attack they laugh at people with a somewhat childish taunt: "has your nights work ended? how 'bout let's drop a bucket gii-gii" after this taunt they'll either drop a literal well bucket or crush the person regardless, just for the heck of it. (the reason for its name, which means “falling well bucket”)

They generally resemble fat nosed tengu, stern faced oni or old balding man (one popular look somewhat resembles dharma.) occasionally they'll drop down, wreathed in flames. 🔥

Similar as to how Nurikabe inspired "Womps" of Super Mario fame, Tsurube-Otoshi inspired the "Thwomps."

•Early Appearances & History •

The tsurube-bi from Toriyama sekiens Gazu Hyakki Yagyo 画図百鬼夜行, "The Illustrated Night Parade of a Hundred Demons" 1776 [last image] these days Tsurube-bi is classified as an atmospheric light/different yokai entirely, but it is said to be the origin of Tsurube-Otoshi. The legend changed sometime in the Showa period.

Though the connection doesn't seem to be direct, it also brings to mind the game: "daruma-otoshi" a traditional stack game where you knock the pedestals out from under neath a daruma doll while trying not to knock over the whole stack (think like a reverse jenga.)