Tsurube-otoshi (釣瓶おとし) is a creature from Japanese folklore.
Etymology
Tsurube-otoshi's name is an expression for "falling quickly" which literally means "a well-bucket dropping", and sometimes the tsurube-otoshi instead drops a well-bucket to scoop up its prey.
Description
Tsurube-otoshi has various descriptions of it's general appearance - sometimes it is thought to be a guise of an oni or tengu, sometimes it appears as a disembodied head that will drop down from trees to attack passing humans or it can also appear as a fireball floating in mid-air.
Behavior
Tsurube-otoshi spends it's time lurking in the tops of trees along roadsides, waiting for an unsuspecting human to pass by underneath the branch it's settled on. Once it's prey passes underneath it, Tsurube-otoshi will send down either a severed head, which will devour the victim, or a well-bucket, which will scoop the victim up and carry them into the trees towards Tsurube-otoshi.