Thriller Restaurant is one of the most popular series for elementary school students here in Japan!

Every Thursday, I do library volunteer.

The following photos are from this morning. I read the English version and a Japanese volunteer read a Japanese version of the picture book to the children in the class.

The following two photos from last Tuesday. I was on the train bound for the small town (south of Fukushima City) where I teach English to kids.

My costume is really hard to guess. I was dressed as an urban legend in Japan: “Toire no Hanako San.” (Hanako the Ghost of the Toilet)

If you are familiar with the Harry Potter series (by J.K. Rowling,) you know that a toilet ghost (Moaning Myrtle) resides in pipes of a girls’ restroom in Hogwarts.

Hanako predates Myrtle by many years. I like to think, though, that they are friends in the ghost world, zooming through pipes to gossip with each other.

Here is a link comparing Moaning Myrtle and Hanako. http://anitasnotebook.com/2017/09/crying-ghosts-in-the-girls-bathroom-shoutout-this-week-to-missy.html

By the way, I personally do not believe that Rowling copied Myrtle off Hanako. Here are my three main reasons:

Number One: She has proved that she has more than enough creativity to think of a toilet ghost on her own.

Number Two: I never see anything from Japan in her writing. Rowling knows a lot about European legends, cultures, tales, etc. but I don’t think she was aware of anything at all from Japan.

Number Three: Coincidences happen.