Taka-nyūdō

giant · Japan · East Asia and Pacific

Taka-nyūdō ('tall priest') is a yōkai of Japanese folklore, a colossal monk-like figure that appears on mountain passes and roads in the Shikoku and Kinki regions. When a traveler looks up, it grows impossibly tall, higher the longer it is watched, and the only escape is to avert one's eyes. It belongs to the mikoshi-nyūdō class and warns against the taboo of staring.

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