gashadokuro; giant skeleton yōkai
A mythical creature from Japanese folklore: a giant skeleton formed from the bones of people who died of starvation. Often depicted as towering and malevolent.
The gashadokuro is said to be a yōkai formed from the gathered bones of people who died in famine.
Looking at a picture of a gashadokuro late at night is really scary.
The word is a compound of がしゃ (onomatopoeic for a rattling or clattering sound) and 髑髏 (どくろ, 'skull'). The exact origin of the legend is uncertain, but it became widely known through modern yōkai illustrations and stories.