The race starts in Sapporo, Hokkaido's capital. Teams must cover 1,600 kilometers to reach the first checkpoint in Nara City.
The teams leave Nara City, they must cross their first border into South Korea to reach the second checkpoint in the seaside town of Sokcho.
The teams enter south east Asia for the first time, starting the third leg from Vietnamese capital Hanoi. The competition intensifies as the team in last place faces elimination.
The teams start from the third checkpoint in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, at the end of Pchum Ben (Ancestors' Day), with a chance to receive a blessing and honor loved ones.
The teams must navigate the full length of Thailand to reach the next checkpoint - Koh Phi Phi - an archipelago of islands immortalised by the Hollywood blockbuster movie The Beach.
The teams leave Thailand behind to embark on a 2,000km journey across Malaysia to the rarely visited Indonesian island of Sumatra, where the sixth checkpoint lies.
John Hannah
Narración
Rob Fisher
Dirección
Kate Siney
Mark Saben
Producción
Tim Harcourt
