The Amazing Race Philippines: DryedMangoez Edition 15 – Leg 10 – Japan


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Leg 15.10 – “I’m karate-in’ it!”

Almost there! The teams set off on the 10th Leg of the Race as they fly to Okinawa, Japan!

All teams will fly on the same flights via Frankfurt (on Croatia Airlines) and Tokyo (Air Nippon Airways) arriving at 10:45am in the capital of Okinawa Prefecture, Naha.

Teams will choose a 2018 Kia Stonic at the airport to drive themselves to the Yomitan Pottery Village where they will find the Road Block: Who’s good with their hands?

For this Road Block, teams must create two matching pieces and then fire up a traditional kiln to bake their creations.

While waiting, teams will piece together a figurine of a traditional shisa until their pottery is set. Teams will then take the shisa and their next clue.

Teams must now make their way to Zuisen Distillery back in Naha.

Awamori is a distilled alcoholic beverage indigenous and unique to Okinawa. For this task, teams must make their own awamori by following each step in the process until they are able to fill a large pot to set and exchange with an empty one.

After, teams can head to Shuri Castle.

First, they will check in at the final Double Yield of the Race. And then they can open the next clue which reveals another! Road Block: Who’s got the moves? Teams must remember that no team member can perform more than six Road Blocks per 12 on the Race.

Karate was first introduced in Japan in what is today Okinawa. For this Road Block, teams will learn and perform a karate demonstration routine to receive their next clue.

That clue tells teams to search dozens of participants of the Shuri Castle festival wearing colorful and vibrant costumes. Only four are wearing different designs. Teams must find one of them to receive their next clue.

Teams will make their way on foot to the nearby Ishidatami Michi and search the stone-paved path for a home with a shisa on its traditional tile roof that matches the one they put together earlier in the Leg. That home will have their next clue.

That clue directs teams to Kokusaidori where they will encounter the Detour: Pound It or Delicate.

In Pound It, teams will learn and perform a piece on the taiko drum. Once the team can perform to the satisfaction of the teacher, they will receive their next clue.

The shamisen was first introduced to Japan here in Okinawa. In Delicate, teams will learn how to play the shamisen, memorize a piece and then perform it for the crowd. Once correct, teams will receive the next clue.

And that clue tells teams to head to Yaese Park, the Pit Stop for this Leg of the Race.

The first team to check in here will win P200,000 courtesy of Shell V-Power Nitro+.

The last team to check in here WILL be eliminated.
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“Director’s” Commentary

Whew! This is a very full Leg, but definitely fitting on the eve of the even bigger penultimate Leg next week.

Japan (as well as South Korea and China) will always be a favorite location for TARPHDME just for its proximity to the Philippines and the seemingly endless possible locations and tasks that could be staged here. Okinawa hasn’t yet been visited by any TAR (I believe). And aside from these simple tasks I have here, there’s definitely plenty to do here for great Legs.

First off, we start at the Yomitan Pottery Village. It looks like a great location with some nice possibilities for beautiful shots. The task is two parts, but should be good. It also gets teams out of Naha and have a nice drive back and forth as well.

This Leg relies heavily on tradition and culture specific to Okinawa. And of course, why not? So the task at Zuisen Distillery to make awamori is good. But I think there could definitely be an even better task here.

The next few tasks will all take place at Shurijo. And it’s a great location to maximize. This is a good spot for the Final Yield. And it’s a great location for karate. The Shuri Castle Festival is also a perfect place for the costume detail TAR staple task.

The looking for the shisa on the roof is just a nice little extra task that gets teams on foot in a pretty area.

And finally, more festivals with the Detour. I think both are good, simple and straightforward tasks that fit with this fuller Leg.

Overall, I really like this Leg. It would make a great penultimate Leg as well. (It actually was in an earlier version of this route hehe)

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