...And the race continues

I was glued to the television during last week's finale of "The Amazing Race," as contestants arrived at Narita Airport and raced into the city to find their next clue at busy Shibuya crossing. Shibuya is absolutely one of my favorite places in Tokyo because it is the pulse of everything I expected Tokyo to be: fast-paced, forward-looking, and full of energy.

But the contestants didn't stop there They had to drive and cycle all over the city to complete various tasks - and they even had to race down to Lake Yamanaka for a final challenge at Fujikyu Highlands amusement park.

The final contestants on the show had mixed reactions to their Japan assignments. One team, "the hippies," loved every minute of their race through Tokyo, from their wild ride on tiny messenger bikes into Shinjuku to their night tucked into small cubicles at a capsule hotel. Other contestants found Japan overwhelming and frustrating, as they unsuccessfully tried to find someone who could understand English and to navigate their way through Tokyo's heavy traffic.

In the end, guess who the winners were... I hate to give away the ending, but I feel like it played out as I would have expected. Because if I learned one thing from travelling and living in Japan, it is that you're better off going with the flow, embracing the differences of Japan rather than fighting them.

And if you really want the full story on the winning team of this season's "The Amazing Race", check it out here.



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