Harry Potter exhibition reveals Japanese mythology's role in series' magic

A new exhibition celebrating the magic and folklore behind the phenomenally successful Harry Potter series has opened at the British Library in London, featuring fictional and "real" magical creatures from Japan.These include pictures of "kappa" (river demons) in a 160-year old illustrated history of the Tone River, and a "mermaid" allegedly caught in Japan in the 18th century that is actually half-monkey, half-fish.Curators have combined original Harry Potter drafts and illustrations with manuscripts and magical objects from the British Library's collection to celebrate the 20th anniversar…READ FULL ARTICLE