Hey, I'm Courtney-sensei: teacher of English and ninja master. ___ Last week at my new school was a blast! For lunch on Tuesday, my students and I trekked over to our city's castle and had a hanami (picnic under the flowers). Unfortunately, while they were plenty of students and picnic lunches, all the sakura had already finished for the year by the start of school. After lunch, some of my braver students came up to me and introduced themselves. After breaking the laughing barrier, I was soon joining the games they've played since kindergarten. And since my job is still teacher and I had no classes that day, I also taught them the Ninja hand swipe game from my junior high days. ____ Today, one week later, we'll head over for another picnic in the park that will finish with a bang: Janken King. There's even a trophy involved. Yes, it's an understatement to say that I'm excited for school today. ____ Sumpo-jo Koen, or Sumpu Castle Park, is all that remains of the castle of famous warlord Tokugawa Ieyasu. Every year at the end of March, the Shizuoka Matsuri is hosted in the park, with hundreds of food stalls, street performers, taiko stages, and more. 📍Sumpu-jo Koen, Shizuoka #JETlife #springinmystep #kingme (à Shizuoka, Shizuoka)