Original subtitles

IN JAPANESE:

Gango-ji. Arigato.

Yeah, we cannot miss it.

It's all in Japanese, mate.

BLEEP

Come on, Mum. Come on!

I'm trying, Isabel. I know.

I'm not seeing a temple.

We were going up there... Right, OK. Then there's no stress.

We'll go this way.

Sugar! Oh, Isabel, I'm so sorry!

I can't do this!

I don't know what other side to try.

Like, we've done three... But this isn't the side.

Can't understand. Yeah, neither.

At the very top of Japan,

the northernmost of its four main islands, Hokkaido.

A peaceful land.

According to legend, its people are

offspring of the union between a white wolf and a goddess.

CRANES WHOOP

Nestled in sacred mountains,

Hokkaido's bustling capital, Sapporo.

A 21st-century metropolis... HORNS HONK

..but at its heart, ancient tradition.

Here, the race begins.

Where do you think we're going to end up? Tonight?

Yeah. Tokyo, maybe.

Ready to get going,

20-year-olds Alfie and Owen.

Do you know what? Up to now,

I've been just looking forward to the race,

but now that it's so close... Yeah. ..it is about winning now.

I think we can win. I think we will win.

Whoa... Confident.

We are young, we recognise that, but I know that

we're a lot more serious and a lot more driven

than perhaps other people our age.

Some sort of shrine, I think.

So, wash left hand. Wash right hand. Wash right hand.

What excites me most about this journey

is being able to do it with my best friend.

Are we best friends? I'd say we are. Good.

Let's leave it at that. Agreed.

Got to make sure we bow... Yes. ..to be respectful. Yeah.

IN JAPANESE:

Hello.

Welcome to Japan.

He is the priest of this shrine.

Please hand over your mobile phones, cash and the bank cards in here.

Only got our phones on us. Right.

Sayonara... That's it. ..old friend.

For the next 50 days, each team will need to survive

with only what they can carry on their backs...

And these are for you.

..including their essential race kit -

money belts containing a limited budget,

GPS trackers for their safety, and a world map.

We cannot lose these. No. Any of it. HE LAUGHS NERVOUSLY

I'm going to be the quick decision-maker.

Feel like I have quite a good sense of direction

because I'm training to be a pilot.

10.46 until you mentioned you're a pilot.

I thought it'd be less than that. I'm quite impressed.

Oh, come on! I... Ugh! ALFIE LAUGHS

See you later. See you later? ALFIE SCOFFS

How cultural.

Father, I ask you for your grace and favour

to give us strength and wisdom along the way.

Next to join the race, teacher Eugenie

and her daughter Isabel, a trainee clinical scientist.

We both thought the race would be a good way

to connect with one another.

Let's do this.

Cos we're strong. No, Mum.

Because our relationship's quite rocky...

Like... Rocky's bad.

Because our relationship is quite turbulent

and it's up and down... But then, what is turbulent?

I think we're good. No, we're not. Ugh...

I need to get my arm in. BOTH LAUGH

It's very ungraceful. OK.

We will make a good team. Because...? Because...

..you're into planning and you're very strategic in what you do,

and I would say I'm more of a people person.

Do you want our phones? In there.

I'm not very patient with Mum already.

I'm not sure how that's going to pan out. Mm.

Tummy's doing a few flips.

NEW SPEAKER: Brought the weather with us, at least.

Yorkshire weather, eh? Aye, it's raining! Lovely!

Well-travelled Betty has enlisted her kid brother James.

You've been in Japan before, haven't you? So...

Yeah. You'll be reet. Like, you'll be fine.

The last time, I had my phone,

as much money as I wanted. Ah, yeah. That is true.

Aah!

From quite a young age, I would say

I've developed this kind of wanderlust,

wanting to explore, see the world, different cultures.

Are you nervous? Yeah. SHE LAUGHS

My idea of travel is getting drunk, really, with the boys.

You know, Magaluf, Ayia Napa. Just having...

I don't know if I can say it. Just having it off for a week.

Hello. IN JAPANESE:

Hello.

I hope that James sees that there is more to life

than lads' holidays and drinking.

Staying in, you know, the little town that we grew up in,

I don't want that for James.

I just think there's a whole world to see

and I want him to be able to push himself a bit.

Am I taking the map? You can be in charge of them.

Don't count on me, honestly! SHE LAUGHS

NEW SPEAKER: It's so calm here, but in five minutes,

we're going to be panicking. BOTH LAUGH

I think what we're most nervous about is the map. Map-reading.

Also joining the race, Brydie and her mum Sharon.

This is Japan. This is what I imagined it to look like.

Never been proper backpacking. Proper backpacking.

We could never afford it.

And the lanterns...

My mum's always wanted to travel

and she's made a lot of sacrifices for me over the years,

and now it's time for me to give that back to her.

That'll mean the world to me.

Hello. In Japanese, how do we say hello to you?

Ohayo gozaimasu.

Hai heiko...seimas? THEY LAUGH NERVOUSLY

I know it's going to be hard,

but I want it to be hard. I don't want it to be easy.

As a team, we're solid. Yeah.

We're not quitters. Yeah, no. I've never quit in life at anything.

Let's do it. We've got this. We've got this.

NEW SPEAKER: Day one.

Don't get me going. Is your heart beating?

Oh, God. I hope it is. It's going ten to the dozen.

Completing the line-up,

recently retired husband and wife Stephen and Viv.

We've never done this before. No, we've never travelled like this.

I mean, whoever leaves home not knowing where they're going? Mm.

Bag's getting heavy already. I think my body's about to give up

with the amount of weight I'm carrying.

I don't want to be the archetypal old biddy

who sits in her chair knitting.

We felt that we had another big adventure in us still... Yeah.

..before we drift off. Into the sunset. Dribble off somewhere.

Is there any Japanese word you want to learn?

I'd like to learn "please".

Onegaishimasu. Ooh! STEPHEN CHUCKLES

Onegai... Onegai...smesh. ..shimasu. Mm-hm.

I used to be a bit of a rebel, a free spirit, when I was younger.

Having children, marriage, I behaved.

Thank you. So I think now is the time that

we could just...behave a bit badly again.

So, what was "please"? Garash... No, er...

..shimasu. THEY CHUCKLE

Equipped with the essentials,

time to find out where the race will take them.

The destination is Lombok.

Lom... Bok.

I've not got a clue. Pretty sure Lombok is in Vietnam.

Vietnam's there...and it's not there. Oh, balls.

I don't understand. Why have I never heard of it?

I'm not starting behind.

For God's sake! LAUGHTER

Oh, this is so hard. You've got to look for that little word

with these little words. I can't see it.

I think, for me, the map-reading

will be the hardest, because of my dyslexia.

I've got it really bad.

What does that say? Brazil.

Like, even just simple things, like reading a bus timetable,

or, like, dates and stuff. I can't read the menu,

so what guy's going to want that?

Oh, found it, found it, found it! Got it, got it, got it!

Oh, well done, Brydie! Yes! Yes!

I was looking for a word similar to London. A picture of that word...

"Lombok". I knew you were my secret weapon.

The finish line -

the Indonesian island paradise of Lombok, 15,000km away.

Go on, overtake him! Go on!

What the hell is going on?

To get there,

the teams must pass through

seven checkpoints.

Only when they reach one will they learn where the next will be.

They'll need to navigate Eastern Asia...

SHE SCREAMS

..through some of the world's most populous regions...

There's so many people there.

Oh, my God! BABY CRIES

So this is herding ducks.

..and some of its most unexplored.

THUNDER CRASHES Oh, my God.

Oh, gosh. It's just torrential rain.

Just suck it up and walk through it.

Awaiting the first team to cross the finish line...

We are so close.

Exciting!

..a prize of £20,000.

Run! Go, go, go!

Your first checkpoint is Nara City. Let's go.

So, up here, Sapporo.

I assume it's going to be south.

I'm guessing it's Japan. It sounds Japanese.

We are terrible at this!

"Shinkansen bullet trains reach speeds of 320km per hour."

No! "So bullet trains are off-limits throughout Japan."

I was really looking forward to getting on a bullet train.

They go so fast. We have to go slow and...

The whole point about this is, like, just slowing down.

Yeah, but that's, like, the main fast thing!

Shall we have a look and see what sort of money we've got?

To reach the finish line, less than £1,400 each...

So, we've got Japanese yen... And pounds. And pounds.

..the equivalent cost of the airfare,

a budget of around £27 per person per day.

I don't think it's that much cos Japan's quite expensive.

We're quite good at budgeting. We live on a budget.

We're not used to frills, anyhow. No.

We have got to budget our buns off. Yep.

HE SIGHS Can't even ask Mum for a tenner.

In the centre of Sapporo, a 147-metre-high TV tower.

Once destroyed on the silver screen

by Japan's famous pop culture icon, Godzilla,

today, in its shadow...

I feel sick. We've got this. Yeah.

..the teams gather for the race to begin.

We're doing it. We're doing it. I know.

Where are the others, then?

Oh, they've got waterproofs on. Oh, they have! We don't. No.

Oh, here they come. Ah. Young and fit.

They look like our grandchildren's age.

BOTH LAUGH

Do you want another bag, by the way?

Cos you look as if you can carry two. Is that all right?

Hi. Hello. Hi!

Mother and daughter, I presume? Yes, that's right. Lovely, lovely.

Daughter's a bit shy? HE LAUGHS

ALFIE: Oh, mate! Right, don't be too friendly.

Just...don't be an arse. That's really difficult for me!

Hi, chaps. Hi! Hello. You all right? I'm happy.

All find where's the checkpoint? No? Not a clue. Not a clue.

No? See? I told you we wouldn't be the only ones. OK!

STEPHEN EXHALES Right, OK. Come on.

I'm now thinking, "What have we done?" LAUGHTER

We're determined, cos I'll tell you now,

there's no way am I going to give up.

I'm scared that I'm with my little brother. I might lose you!

I think it's just a lot of pressure.

We're going to go all the way.

If something bad happens, I'm going to try not to hold it against you,

but if it does, I will.

Everybody else on the race is bound to be younger than us,

so I think we need to outsmart them because we can't outrun them.

Wandering blindly into the unknown.

Bring it on.

HORN BLARES

Let's go!

Oh, my God, it's real now. Here we go. Come on.

Go! Ah, look at these two running. LAUGHTER

It is a marathon. Not a sprint! Definitely not a sprint.

We just need to find anyone that speaks English

and try and find Nara City.

To reach the first checkpoint...

Do you know where this place is?

..teams need to navigate the language barrier...

Excuse me. Do you speak English?

No? OK.

Thank you. Thank you.

..as well as Japanese manners and etiquette.

"Blowing your nose in public or eating on the go

"are both considered rude." Oh.

I actually love Eastern food so much.

By the end of this trip, we will be able to use chopsticks. I hope so.

STEPHEN: We're looking for Nara City.

Ni... Na... Ni... Nara City.

Nara. Nara, Nara. City.

OK. Near Kyoto.

That one?

It's just by Kyoto.

Fantastic. Thank you. Thank you very much.

Arigato. Bye-bye!

1,600 kilometres to the south, the first checkpoint,

Originally Japan's capital,

Nara City is home to one of the world's largest wooden structures

that houses a bronze Buddha weighing 500 tonnes.

To get there, the teams need to leave Hokkaido

for Japan's largest island, Honshu.

Nara? Yeah.

How do we get there? Shinkansen.

No bullet train. Eh?! Eh? No. LAUGHTER

We need a bus to Ky...o...to?

Kyoto. But it's a long, long way.

Oh.

Ferry?

Ship? Wait... Oh!

You have to get a boat there.

There's a gap!

It's an island.

Teams could take short ferry crossings

to explore the north of Honshu -

an ancient world of samurai towns and folk traditions -

before picking up

well-connected transport links

down the east coast

through 21st-century Japan,

embodied in the shiny metropolis of Tokyo.

Others might prefer to stay longer at sea.

Although slower than travelling by land,

teams could skip the north entirely,

or bring into reach the west coast,

with its remote bays

and spectacular Japanese Alps.

Now, we have to get to Tokyo as soon as possible.

That's set in stone.

But hang on. We're definitely going to want to stop

at some point to see some culture.

We don't want to miss out what Japan's all about.

We will lose time.

I don't think we should just rush through it.

If there's somewhere we want to see, somewhere we want to stop at.

I don't think there will be. We just need to keep moving.

When Alfie's got a thought in his mind,

he gets very fixated on that.

He gets tunnel vision.

We need to get to Tokyo as soon as possible.

And it'll just feel like talking to a brick wall sometimes.

I mean, I've definitely always wanted to go to Tokyo.

And Mount Fuji's near Tokyo. It looks amazing. Mount Fuji?

If we're going to go to Mount Fuji, we'll have, one, a better time

and, two, better transport connections to the checkpoint.

But there's no-one else I could imagine myself doing this with,

so I think I can work round the challenge we've got.

OK... We need to get down to one of these ports. Yeah.

I'm against spending longer times at sea.

I think we catch a shorter ferry and then a direct bus to Tokyo.

Tokyo to Mount Fuji and then bus to checkpoint.

Alfie and Owen's plan -

to fast-track to Tokyo,

racing through the entirety

of northern Honshu.

Right. 4.10. I want to be on the move by five. Let's go.

All right. Let's go, then.

Already at Sapporo train station...

Can we make the 16.16? OK. Can we do it? Is it possible?

Come. Yeah. Come on, let's do this.

..Eugenie and Isabel.

How long do we have? About three minutes.

We'll get it. OK. All right, thank you.

We don't have a strategy.

Our strategy at the moment

is just to leave Sapporo.

I feel like we're winging it. I think it's a massive risk.

Come on! Isabel, be positive.

I like to plan and then have contingency plans

and then more and more contingency plans.

Gosh...

It can seem a bit obsessive at times,

but I like to make sure it's the best it can possibly be.

Three minutes. Don't panic, Isabel!

Just push it through.

Go. Oh.

Oh, my gosh.

Jesus. Come on, Mum. Whew!

Whew!

Putting off plotting a precise plan,

Eugenie and Isabel are first to leave Sapporo,

heading to the nearest port of Tomakomai.

We didn't even ask when the next ferry is.

We know that there's a port and that's about it!

Every light, we're going to have to stop.

I've seen no-one walk. We can't go.

They all obey the rules. It's brilliant! I love it.

I think I could live in a place where everyone obeys the rules. SHE CHUCKLES

Still in Sapporo... Oh! Right, go.

My feet are hurting, my back's sore, my neck's aching already. Oh, no.

Flipping day one! ..Stephen and Viv,

setting off at a different tempo. HE GROANS

We plan to take a slower pace, which suits us.

HE GROANS

So we hope to see lovely scenery. I'm up for it. Maybe some mountains.

God, I didn't think it'd be this bad carrying a bloody bag!

Oh! It's me neck. It's up here.

Oh, dear me!

We know that night is coming.

We're tired, let's be honest. Yeah, yeah. So...

And we need to find some transport that we can sleep on. Yeah.

Oh, green light. Here we go. Green. Here we go.

Have you got the sandwiches? I've got the sandwiches.

Meanwhile, figuring out their first step...

Shall we get on a train? Yeah. And then we'll get a ferry.

Konnichiwa. Could you help us? Can you help us?

..Brydie and her mum Sharon.

Do you know how we get transport? Like, the train? The train? Yeah.

But if it goes, "Sh-sh-sh..." Yeah.

Oh, a fast train. No. No, no. No fast. Ah!

On the race, I'll definitely use my dyslexia as an advantage.

La... Lashumi? Natsumi. And we're Sharon... Sharon.

Brydie. Brydie.

And I always ask for help in everyday life.

I just say to people, "Oh, can you read this?"

I'll take you. You'll take us?! Oh! Thank you!

I think my people skills are really good.

Me and Brydie working as a team. I knew we would.

In fact, Brydie's taking the lead at the moment.

Thank you so much. Take care. Bye. Bye. Bye.

As the first day draws to a close...

You go first, Mum.

Oh, hang on.

Oh! It looks like James.

It is, though! It's bloody James! It is. Betty and James.

It is them! Yeah.

..two more teams are heading to the nearest port.

How many stops is there?

No idea.

Oh, it makes my heart pound now. Yeah.

HORN HONKS Already leaving there...

It's moving.

..Eugenie and Isabel are the first to set sail for Honshu

on a 15-hour, 560km overnight journey

down the east coast.

Hopefully, tomorrow, I'll plan the travel.

Make a bit more sense rather than being really sporadic and random.

Let's go. Let's go. Arriving in their wake...

Oh! Have we got a direction?

Oh, are we following? Yeah. Now we've got to leave them.

Can't see 'em.

Oh, it's the exit. Exit! Look.

Sorry, here.

OK... JAMES SIGHS

This is the port.

Do you reckon?

We would like to go as far down...

Hachinohe. Hanchi... Hachinohe.

OK, perfect.

For Brydie and Sharon, a passage is secured,

sailing the farthest distance they can tonight.

We've done really well.

Put it there, partner.

Yeah! THEY LAUGH

We're just taking it day by day at a time

and see how it goes.

Oh, this is a joke.

BLEEP sake.

Oh!

But for siblings Betty and James,

time is running out.

What do you mean? What is that attitude?

So my main concern is, we're not sort of the closest.

I think the only time she comes over is putting a wash

in the washing machine.

We don't really know what each other can do.

I actually don't know what to do.

I feel like my role is to be the big little brother, being strong

when she's not so strong.

I feel like we should get out of this place,

otherwise we're going to be stuck in the same place tomorrow.

Just me and you trying to figure this out.

We may as well just get the ferry down to wherever they're going. Shall we do that?

Are we going to make it? We make it on time? Will we make it on time?

Oh!

It's a long way. Come on.

I can hear the moving trains.

Ah, phew!

Thank you. Perfect.

Sort of lost our heads. Yeah. Pressure.

We definitely panicked.

I think I definitely panicked.

James and I weren't communicating in the best way.

I think, over time, we're definitely going to make decisions that are

less rash than tonight, I think.

Wow, look at that! We've got a big mountain over there.

Exciting. Exciting. We're moving, we're moving, we're moving.

Bullet train literally would have been, like, so fast, we probably

would have missed, like, taking all this in.

Two teams have landed in Honshu...

..the largest island in the Japanese archipelago,

offering the chance to explore the many faces of Japan.

We want to go there.

Tono. Tono.

Yeah. Monster. Yeah. Monster.

Arriving in the north is a step back in time.

Oh, wow. It's pretty, isn't it?

Yeah, it is.

Brydie and Sharon are searching for the Japan of myth and legend.

It's famous for fairy stories.

They might even have some sort of, I don't know, wishing well, but some

sort of... Mind you, I don't want to put my money in it. No, don't put money in it.

I just want to know how much it's going to cost.

So I'm worrying about that now.

If I know it's free... Then we'll enjoy it. ..I can enjoy it.

Our game plan...

We're good at a budget. We live every day on a budget.

Yeah, every day is on a budget for us.

That'll be our strongest point.

Yeah, it will be. Money.

When we go on holiday, it's packed lunch.

If we've got to pay for a shower... We'll just have to be skanky. Yeah.

The sleepy town of Tono...

..famed for its folk tales depicting the exploits

of mischievous water sprites.

When we get off the train, look for a water fountain.

Said to be angered when not respected as gods...

They're fairies. Looks like those three are having a good old natter.

..they're partial to eating cucumbers...and children.

Look at that. That's nice, isn't it?

This is beautiful.

Growing up, my mum, she was a fruit picker.

My dad was a miner.

We lived through the miners' strike.

We literally had nothing.

Oh, look at these ladies.

Hi! Hi!

Honestly, I could live on a penny.

I'm excited to see everything.

This phase, it's an opportunity, innit?

I'm Mum...and daughter.

My friend. Your friend?

Yeah. That's what we thought.

Aw, that's nice.

So you made all of this?

Wow.

Your shoes.

They're beautiful. You always put these shoes on.

Oh, God. I feel like Cinderella.

How do you walk in these?

I'll do what you do.

She wants you to have them.

Oh!

Thank you.

Honestly, thank you.

Although we had that language barrier now, she just...

We really expressed that love. You could speak through actions.

You could sort of... She gave me her shoes.

Those actions.

Oh, Brydie, she's waving. Bye!

I hope they're not her going-out shoes.

Oh, that was beautiful.

I will keep them hanging from somewhere in our house.

You've literally took the shoes off... An old lady. I know.

I'm happy with today. I don't think we've wasted any money, so,

yeah, good.

The plan is now we need to work out... How to get to... Tokyo.

Lovely weather.

160km to the south...

We've come quite a bit of a distance, but now

we just want to explore Japan.

After their lengthy voyage sailing down the east coast,

Eugenie and Isabel have reached Sendai...

..founded by the samurai warlord Date Masamune,

known as the One-Eyed Dragon.

OK, let's go.

But the pair are pushing on in a surprising direction.

I want to avoid Tokyo, cos Tokyo's very expensive.

We want to get to another major hub.

And Niigata's the biggest hub near us.

Isabel's plan, a swing of 260km

all the way across to the other side of the island.

So, go to Niigata, find somewhere to stay overnight.

Yeah. I'm trying to get my head around, why Niigata?

When you look at where we are on the map, it looks quite random.

This is doing my head in!

Bus to Niigata.

Niigata...

We're winging it. We're really winging it.

And we're just trying to see as much as possible.

Try and feel like we're heading south, even though we're not

necessarily heading south, erm, south-south.

We're going south-west-ish.

With 10% of their budget already spent,

mother and daughter say sayonara to the east coast.

Sendai. Sendai station.

On their tail, siblings Betty and James...

I think we're really settled on a plan now.

I think we can step out of race mode for maybe half a day

or so and just experience Japan.

..making the short hop to Matsushima Bay.

Look!

I can see the sea!

Named for the windswept rocky islands that dot its waters,

its striking views left revered haiku poet Matsuo Basho

so spellbound he was lost for words.

I don't think I've ever seen a temple in my life before.

Pretty cute. Whenever I try and go away,

like, I definitely try and come to the local culture,

things like that, and, like, see the sights.

It's completely different for me.

I'd always be in the city, like, drinking, and I don't know

if it's completely me, but, yeah, I can grow into it.

Betty aims to introduce her kid brother... Oyster speciality.

No, don't think so.

..to his first taste of Japan.

Oh, it smells.

Hi. Konnichiwa. Konnichiwa.

In life, I'm fairly comfortable where I am now.

Being the youngest one, still living at home and having Mum and Dad's

protection, if you like.

Whether that's a good thing or not, I'm not sure.

Let's just maybe get a couple of things,

cheaper things, but still, like, try some of the local stuff.

A large portion of rice. OK.

I do want to explore and see new things and see what's out there.

Thank you. Arigato.

Good portion as well.

What do you reckon it is?

It might be eel... Glad you told me that now.

Mm. Nice?

That's well good.

Perhaps it might change who I think I am.

It might not. We'll see.

Like a Tesco's caviar. We're experiencing Japan,

but we've kept it to, like, a low budget.

So, yeah. Happy. Mm.

Total bill - 2,900 yen.

Two thousand... 900 yen.

900. 2,000. What did we have?

One rice? Yeah.

250. 2,000 yen, plus, 200...

OK.

Stupid mistake. Let's just pay up.

Yeah. Here you go.

Arigato.

We've only got ourselves to blame.

I'm glad we came still.

Yeah, but what now are we thinking?

What now?

We could potentially head south to Tokyo.

Maybe get a job, earn some money back.

I think it'd be really wise to actually do some work. Yeah.

Onwards and upwards.

Let's go. I can't believe that!

Oh, my God. That was hell.

I feel like shit.

You look like shit. Yeah!

Sticking to the plan,

a ten-hour bus journey through northern Honshu sees Alfie and Owen

first to reach the capital.

Right.

Tokyo.

This is what I was thinking of, literally this, you know,

the high-rise buildings, the massive screens.

This is amazing.

We've arrived on our schedule.

We're so happy to be here.

Alfie, there's so many people here.

Oh, my God.

A sleepy fishing village just 400 years ago,

today Tokyo's 37 million residents make this the most populated

urban area in the world.

Where's Owen gone? Owen!

Yeah, yeah, I'm coming, sorry.

There's so much around you to look at.

It's like a sensory overload. I'm loving it.

It's a city simultaneously looking to the future...

WAILING What is that?

..and anchored in the past.

Well, this is something.

HE LAUGHS

They're putting faces in front of it.

I shouldn't laugh, that's really disrespectful.

So confused. This baby is in floods.

I think I'd cry if that happened to me.

Obviously a cultural thing, right?

So keen are the parents to have their babies cry,

there's a waiting list to enter the 400-year-old Nakizumo Festival.

Mate, the one on the right is doing so well.

The one on the right cannot be cracked.

More crying is winner. Winner. OK, OK.

So the one that cries more... Most is the winner.

Right, OK. OK.

Completely different for us. We'd associate in the UK...

We thought it would be the other way round, but over here it's a signal,

it's a sign of strength.

It's believed that tears ward off evil spirits and bestow

the winning baby with a long, healthy life.

It's definitely refreshing to see that crying in a different part

of the world is actually accepted.

It's seen as something, you know, a strong personality trait.

I used to get upset a lot when I was younger.

Crying was my way of expressing my emotion.

However, I never saw that as a weakness of mine.

For me, I've got no opposition to crying.

I've got no shame in crying. I just don't normally.

I can't really get my head around what was actually going on.

But it was really eye-opening.

It just shows how different the culture is,

and it's just nuts.

Right, onwards.

Mount Fuji. Let's move.

We've got to get this bus. OK, fine.

700km to the north...

Not for one minute did I think I would be naked in Japan.

It's a lovely view.

..Stephen and Viv were the last team to reach Honshu,

and are still at the very northern tip of the island.

Everything's floating, I'm sorry.

Every day locals let it all hang out in Japan's 27,000 hot springs,

or onsens...

..the therapeutic, mineral-rich waters warmed by the country's

abundance of volcanoes.

Really refreshing.

As a couple, we've learned to slow down a little bit.

I had a heart attack and Viv's had a stroke.

We both then retired.

Oh, this is so nice.

Quite enjoy our rest times, let's put it that way.

It's a nice way to chill and relax and do something cultural.

Very alien to me. But you quickly embrace it.

Everyone just standing there, waving their tackle about, it's great.

It's a really nice experience, actually.

But I'm feeling that we actually need to make some progress.

And I do think Tokyo is as far as we can go on a single bus.

Mount Fuji. Fuji Mountain.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Bus terminal. Ah, bus terminal. OK. Thank you so much.

That's really helpful.

Where's the map? You've got it.

No, Alf, you had it in your hand outside.

I haven't got it. Alfie, you had it in your hand.

I haven't got it.

Three days into our venture through Japan...

..and we don't have a map.

Not ideal at all. Yeah.

That is quite annoying, I'll be honest, but we're just going

to have to find maps. Try and trace maps into here.

I think we're here.

It's not to scale. How many thumbs?

I'm extremely scatty.

For God's sake!

Just don't give me anything that you want me to keep hold of

in my hands, because these are not responsible, but this is.

Give me information, just not items.

I'm so hungry now.

Did you eat the map?

The sacred symbol of Japan, Mount Fuji.

Legend says a goddess put the elixir of life on its peak.

This sleeping giant hasn't erupted for over 300 years,

but recent rumblings are a reminder it is very much awake.

Unlike some.

Alfie's still sleeping.

I decided not to wake him up, cos I think 15 minutes away from him

is probably what I need.

He's so frustrating, because he's so messy.

We got into the tent last night and he just throws his bag

into the corner, gets everything out possible,

and then just leaves it there.

I like to keep all my stuff clean and tidy.

And he's on the complete other end of the spectrum,

chucking his shit everywhere.

All right? You just woken up?

I... I was gone.

So we started work at 10am.

To boost their budget, teams are provided with a directory

of local job opportunities,

and the boys have picked up a day's work cleaning

to pay for their prime pitch in the foothills of the holy mountain.

I think you're cleaner than me.

I'm 100% cleaner than you, just a bit less organised.

I've been a lot more organised so far on the race, though.

I mean, that is quite confusing, considering you lost the map.

Not pointing the finger. We don't know... Hang on...

I'm not saying it was you, but if it was, then it's

a slightly confusing statement.

And if it was you, it's an even more confusing statement.

Yeah, but we came to the conclusion that it was most likely you.

As long as we can get a good view of Mount Fuji,

that will be a pinch-me moment.

It's so cloudy today that I'm not hopeful.

On the other side of Honshu...

Oh, look at the mountain!

Be in the moment.

All right, I will be in the moment.

Without your camera?

No, I need my memories on the camera.

After slingshotting all the way to Niigata,

Eugenie and Isabel have headed even further west, to Sado Island.

Arigato. Arigato.

And expenses are mounting up.

A bit concerned about the money.

I'm wondering if Sado was a good idea or not.

In the Sea of Japan,

so remote, Sado Island was once

an place of exile for politicians and nobles who fell out of favour.

This part of Japan offers quite a lot that a lot of other tourists

don't actually get to see.

So tranquil.

It's lovely.

The five tiers of the Myosenji Buddhist temple took

two generations of carpenters over 30 years to complete.

A lovely sense of God's creation.

I'm going to try a selfie. Are you serious?

Has it taken it?

Aren't you supposed to hold it up, not down?

I'm trying to...

It's not a natural thing,

to be spending 24/7 as mother and daughter.

We've got a pagoda in the garden but it don't look like that, does it?

I mean, if we had that in the garden, that would be cool.

I think the challenge will be fruitful in terms of

what we learn about each other and what makes each other tick.

I think this says no entry.

It just says no street shoes.

I don't want to do something you can't do.

Rebels, let's be rebels.

Do you want to? Yes.

Go up and just have a look.

Let's do it.

FOOTSTEPS ON TIMBER

You're very heavy footed.

Because I'm heavy.

Being the youngest of three,

I've missed out on that solo time with her.

EUGENIE, WHISPERING:

MAN:

WHISPERING: What you go in there for?

THEY GIGGLE You weren't meant to be in there!

THEY GIGGLE

You make me laugh.

I've really enjoyed this stop... Isabel, the bus is coming. Yeah.

I really enjoyed this stop, it's been quite peaceful.

I feel like it's been... Isabel!

Yeah, it's been relaxing but this is on another level. You don't feel...

You're going to miss the bus!

It's relaxing... Isabel.

..but you don't feel as though... Isabel. ..you're relaxing...

I don't feel like we've been as relaxed as we actually have...

It's all very scheduled, you know that.

Oh, no. What?

I think I might have messed up a bit. Tell me.

I read the timetable so badly wrong.

We're going to miss the ferry.

Are we? Yeah.

There might be a possibility of getting a taxi.

Depends on how much the taxi would be.

Yeah, but if we've got no choice.

We're haemorrhaging money, this is a joke.

We just might have to make it back up later.

Can you press the buzzer, please? You want to get off here?

So, if we get a taxi, how tight is it going to be, Isabel?

It takes just under an hour.

Why are you running?

Because we can.

200km outside of Tokyo...

STEPHEN: I don't know what a wasabi farm looks like.

We're probably in the wrong town.

I'm getting to the point where I wish we'd taken a taxi.

..Stephen and Viv have ventured deep into the heart of Honshu.

This might be it, you know?

..enjoying the rural Japan they desired...

Oh, hello! We have found you!

Jin?

Jim?

Ah, Jun!

..by trading their grafting spirit for a bed.

So, wasabi is a root. Whoa!

You thought yours was big, Stephen.

Takuro has been growing wasabi for 40 years

and intends to hand the business over to his son Jun.

This feels absolute like being back on my vegetable patch.

Oh, I've got the jackpot here. Wow.

This pungent root, related to watercress,

is central to Japanese cuisine.

We also harvested a frog!

Kiss a frog and you'll turn into a prince.

Go on, kiss him. Kiss him...

Oh.

That says a lot! So close.

The frog wouldn't kiss you!

Stephen can be a little bit of an acquired taste.

Grr, grr!

STEPHEN CHUCKLES

His family, mostly, love him.

Is it rude if I ask how old you are?

I'm 47.

People at the tennis club, they find him quite loud. Not very tactful.

Unintentionally offensive.

Some have learned to tolerate him but, yeah, I love him.

We do barbecue. Oh, nice fire.

Can you grind wasabi? Yes.

Ooh, not too much. THEY LAUGH

Beautiful. Oh, so good.

I'm sure our wasabi at home doesn't taste like this.

This is, I think,

what we wanted to get out of the race in the first place.

To not be charging around but really enjoying doing the travel,

enjoying the way through.

And also, to meet a family.

How old are you?

TAKURO: Nana-juu-go.

75.

75! 75!

I bet you can still pick more wasabi than him too.

Right, we really need your help.

We need to get to Nara City.

It's quite difficult, I think. Is it? Too far.

Would it be possible, Jun, if you could give us a lift?

Yeah, I can go...

No, not Nara!

Oh! It's too far.

Where do you think you could help us to?

Maybe Matsumoto station.

They've got the buses and the trains.

Matsumoto would be brilliant.

Look, you can see the top of it now. Oh, great. Finally.

Mount Fuji's there. There we go.

After their day's work at the campsite...

It's so cool.

..Alfie and Owen also have their eyes on the checkpoint...

I'm wired into race mode, I just can't enjoy it.

I just can't enjoy it.

..looking to cover the 420km

to Nara City overnight

via either Kyoto or Osaka.

Let's go.

Osaka... Here we go. Why's there a cross next to it?

That must mean it's cancelled.

Or sold out. Gutted. Yeah.

Mate, that bus is perfect.

Yeah, I know, but we can't get it so let's just... We need another plan.

Can we get to Osaka or Kyoto on a train...?

I think we should go back to Tokyo at this point.

I genuinely think we should.

I mean, we know from Tokyo we can go anywhere, so...

Ugh... BLEEP.

Going back on themselves to Tokyo is in the opposite

direction to the checkpoint.

Tokyo station? Two tickets.

And there's going to be links to Kyoto or to Osaka.

We could still hit tomorrow hard.

If it makes you feel better,

we're significantly under budget for today!

I think a lot of people would have backed down

when everything that looks direct was out of reach for us tonight.

And I think that's what's going to set us apart in this race.

Our brains just work overtime,

we will not stop trying to work out the best way forward.

As the boys backtrack to the capital...

Hi. We want to go to here.

Toba. Toba? Yeah.

..leaving it behind, Brydie and Sharon,

with a different strategy to get closer to the checkpoint -

a 470km venture to a job in Toba,

winding around the jagged coastline.

There you go. It's eight hours.

Lovely.

Eight hours?!

Six transfers.

It's further than what we thought.

Oh, this is silly.

Go, ask him, ask him.

It this going here?

Are we on the right one?

This one? This one, yeah?

Thank you.

The only team on the west coast...

Arigato. Arigato.

..Eugenie and Isabel's decision to change tack to Niigata

has been costly but is coming good.

4.5 hours to get to Kanazawa.

You're doing really well, Isabel, with the planning.

They've found a connection that will put them

within just 300km of Nara City.

IN JAPANESE:

What's your name?

Junsei Ohori. Junsei Okori.

Can you teach us some Japanese words?

He's writing out the whole who, what, why, where,

when, how, how much. Yeah, yeah.

I've always kind of liked languages because it's patterns,

I quite like patterns.

IN JAPANESE:

I'm actually learning quite a bit about my daughter.

I'm amazed at how quickly she's starting to pick up Japanese.

She's just like a dog with a bone, getting information.

We're going to have a phrase book at this rate.

Personal translator!

As Isabel masters the language...

It's quite heavy now.

# Da da-da da... # All the weight's going down.

OK, at the next corner, turn right. OK.

..in Tokyo, Betty and James take control of their budget problems...

There is rickshaw cleaning, OK?

..cleaning Mr Sato Ichihara's fleet of luxury rickshaws.

We have four expensive rickshaws.

How much is this one? 3 million.

3 million? Yes.

Is that shiny enough?

Erm...

Oh, yeah, marks. Hmm.

This one, cleaning. OK.

Bit of a...

# Do-do-do-do-do! #

Um...

God, I feel like he's going to check it to a T.

OK, I think this one's done.

That's all right, this one. One more.

That's James on that bit.

Get it done. Your fault.

I'm going over your stuff.

I think seeing Betty every day is a little bit strange and weird.

I think we're sort of growing into spending time with each other.

But I think we are getting used to it.

Can you remember when we were kids and we used to ride our bikes

and Dad used to make us clean them? Ugh, it was the bane of my life.

Hopefully, by the end, we can have that relationship where we can speak

and talk about things we might not have wanted to before.

So, definitely steps in the right direction.

I feel like we've earned our brass.

Earned a drink and all.

OK, no problem. It's good? Yes!

Oh, amazing. Good job.

Nara City, on our way, baby!

And onwards!

Let's go. The checkpoint tonight is going to happen.

I have been made aware that it's really disrespectful to eat

on to move in Japan. I feel extremely rude right now

but desperate times call for desperate measures.

80km further from the checkpoint than they were yesterday...

Do you want to get off at Kyoto? It's quicker. Yeah, I'd say so.

12,600. Let's do it.

..Alfie and Owen attempt to leave Tokyo for the second time.

Heading to Kyoto.

We can hopefully, from then on, get a train down to Nara City.

So, say we get there at 7pm, 8pm tonight, we just run

the risk of there not being any trains from Kyoto down to Nara.

Osaka. Osaka station.

Near full. It's in nine minutes.

Also looking to escape the capital, Betty and James, aiming for Osaka.

Nine, ten hours.

Arigato. Arigato.

Right, let's do this. Kyoto, here we come.

Just a little bit worried where we are in the race.

Now it's starting to feel real.

Ugh!

Languishing at the back, Stephen and Viv...

Hello! We need a train to Nara City, please.

Via Nagoya.

And we need it now!

..with over 350km of ground to cover

to reach the checkpoint.

Feeling confident we've got this. Yes.

We've got a bit time on the train, eat a banana, have a drink.

Ugh...

SHARON: Come on, ladies, let's get this show on the road, eh?

Currently closer to Nara City than any of the other teams,

Brydie and Sharon, in keeping with their shoestring strategy...

Let's go.

..are squeezing in a shift bussing tables.

These are our kind of people, workers.

This has got my name all over it.

You look at these ladies, one of them said she was 71

and she goes deep-sea diving.

The Ama women are a community of freedivers,

still braving the waters of the Pacific to bring back seafood

to feed their families and the customers of this restaurant.

Thank you, Grandma. Arigato.

I love how inspiring these ladies have been. They're still rocking it.

You're amazing. You're powerful, all of you. Strong.

Yeah, she knows! Yeah!

Bye! Bye!

Right, to the train station. Let's go.

Closing in on the first checkpoint...

This is Kyoto station?

No Kyoto station, Kyoto Fukakusa.

Change train.

Train. Train? Train.

The boys have been dropped on the outskirts of Kyoto

and are looking for a quick connection.

So, we're, like, right in the arse-end of Kyoto right now.

We don't know what time the train runs, we don't know what line it is,

where it goes from.

We just don't know what station to get off.

I mean, this is all in Japanese.

It's proper stressing me out.

Excuse me, do you speak English?

No, nothing?

Do you know where Nara City is?

Nara City? No. Nara City?

No?

Approaching Kyoto from the north...

ISABEL, IN JAPANESE:

..Isabel plans ahead.

Two.

1,180.

1,180.

OK. Tickets to Nara.

So we spent 32% of our budget, got 68% left.

OK, could be worse.

Train stops here.

Oh, no, does it? I don't know.

I don't know!

Get the bags. We need to get the bags. This is Shin-Tanama station.

Yeah, get off. Get off! OK.

Excuse me. We're trying to get to Nara City,

so where would we go now?

You have to go out and get a new ticket.

It's actually the opposite direction.

Thank you so much.

That's so lucky. We know where we're going now.

Five stops and we're there.

And then a run to the checkpoint.

The first checkpoint in the race to Lombok - Nara City.

Visitors can arrive at one of two main stations.

Thank you. Thank you.

First into town, Eugenie and Isabel land in the west,

farthest from the checkpoint hotel.

Their GPS tracker tells them its exact location.

Make your way on foot to the southwest corner of Sarusawa Pond

and find the Gango-Ji Temple.

Shall we ask someone?

Konnichiwa.

Doko Sarusawa Pond? Water.

This way, go straight. OK.

OK.

Arigato. Arigato.

We can do this. I can smell water anyway.

Arriving to the north...

Let's go.

Don't forget, compass and ask. Two fundamentals.

..the boys can close the gap.

We're facing dead north, so we need to go right

then go straight down.

Sarusawa. Right, let's move.

Is that helping? It does, yeah.

I can see what looks like some kind of pond.

Pond. Pond, pond.

Konnichiwa.

Arigato.

That's it. That's a pond.

That's it.

And find the Gango-ji Temple.

Southwest.

Fast approaching Nara City...

Bye, Osaka, it's been nice.

..the three other teams.

We are so close.

It's exciting!

Japanese trains run like clockwork

until you bloomin' need them to.

The train's here.

I'll just hold it. Let's get on it.

We'll go to the toilet when we get off at Nara.

Right, steady, steady. I'm not seeing a temple.

Tell me that is south-facing.

100% 100%.

We were going up there... OK, so there's no stress.

We'll go this way. Yeah.

We'll be able to see it. Yeah, no, I'm just... Yeah.

What do you think?

Doko Gango-Ji Temple?

Gango-Ji...

Gango-Ji?

Arigato. Arigato.

There's someone coming.

Oh, my God, they haven't seen. It's the boys!

You ready for a footrace? Yeah. Go, go.

Other side. Oh, sugar.

Oh, it's a bit like... I'm so sorry, I can't do this!

Careful, careful. We cannot miss it.

Should we try, like loop round the back maybe?

It's all in Japanese, mate.

BLEEP

Come on, Mum. Come on.

I'm trying, Isabel. No, I know.

But we can do it.

You think it's through here?

I think it's one more. I think it's one more.

This was the road we started on down there.

Yeah?

Mum! I'm here. Come on, come on.

Is it here? I think so.

Gango-Ji Temple? Gango-Ji Temple.

It's here somewhere.

Perched on a hill overlooking the city, the Nara Hotel

is your first checkpoint.

Nara Hotel?

SPEAKS JAPANESE

OK. Thank you.

I don't understand. Yeah, neither. I don't... Well, look,

we know it's there, but I just...

I don't know where any other entrances would be.

We're just now walking away from it.

We go left, we look around the back of it,

and there might be an entrance there.

And I bet that's where the other two have gone.

I don't know what other side to try, like we've got...

But this isn't a side.

South-west corner of Sarusawa Pond.

Never eat shredded wheat.

Come on, darling.

Not far now.

This looks like a pond.

Something pond-like.

I think it's down there.

Nara station. And we've come down...

Do you reckon down that way? Yeah?

Over there, look. Absolutely crazy.

Why is it all the way up there?

Yeah, there you go. It's up there. It's up there.

How do we get up there?

Let's just get to it and then find a way.

There's quite a few steps, Mum. No fear!

Nara Hotel, this is it.

I think this is the entrance. Oh! Mum, come on.

Mum, they're behind us.

BLEEP

Konnichiwa. Konnichiwa.

Ah, see! I told you.

Oh, my gosh.

Oh, my gosh. I'm getting all emotional.

Isabel, she's a smart cookie.

She said we shouldn't really go through Tokyo.

Oh, wow.

Our money is, like, very low.

The main thing we need to do on the next leg is work.

I'll take that. Two minutes behind first.

Unbelievable.

It's not just second, it's second by two minutes.

So it's as close to joint first as you're going to get.

As you're going to get. No, it's really solid.

Eugenie and Isabel were low key at the start line

and they're high key at the finish line.

Yeah, they're ones to watch out for, definitely.

We made it. It's here!

Third! Perfect. Nice.

I am pleasantly surprised of how well we've worked together.

Pitter patter, pitter patter, pitter patter. Right, come on.

Last bit.

I'm going to take my glasses off.

Come on, let's give it a run.

You OK, Mum? Yeah, I'm good.

Oh! We're not last. Yes!

This leg, we have focused more on the enjoyment side,

the leisurely pace, seeing the scenery.

Eugenie and Isabel won.

Wow! Wow!

We were quite convinced that we would be last place.

So it was so lovely to be within two hours of the leading team.

Yes. Big shock, actually. Big shock.

It's actually quite a boost to the confidence.

Mwah!

Ew, you are...

Thank you, sir. Goodnight. Goodnight.

We need a bath.

Hello. Hello.

We're fifth. That's all right.

I'm happy with that. Same. We've got time to catch up. Yeah.

I mean, let's just carry on being us and keep being nice to people.

Yeah, definite.

After five days and 1,600km,

just four hours and 14 minutes

separate the teams.

The most exciting thing is that there's a long way to go.

We've got to win the next leg.

The fire has been reignited. Yeah.

Can we...? Can we cut in? We're in a race.

The unknown. Probably the most exciting part

and the most terrifying part.

Go on! Overtake him! Go on!

My responsibility is being strong when Betty's not so strong.

I can't cope with this.

Oh BLEEP!

Go out... In a blaze of glory. Yes.

It's hard. Really hard.

Flippin' heck. Mum, speed up.

Got a race to win here. Argh!

This place will be the death of me.

I don't see the emotional side of you often,

and I think that's what's made it harder in the past.

Absolutely bonkers.

Oh, my gosh, snake!

We're determined. Strong minded.

I think we've got this.

Oh, now you're running!

It's not just like a new job. It's not like a new hobby.

This is a new life.