Daichi & Sawaka

Daichi Kawashima and Sawaka Kawashima are a Brother and Sister team on The Amazing Race Asia 2.

They generally raced at the back of the pack, but managed to stay in the race due to other teams falling far behind. However, they seemed to be hitting their stride in Japan after leading for much of the leg, only to be hit with an equalizer late in the leg, as well as a No-Rest Leg soon after. In the next half of the leg in South Korea, they would once again fall to the bottom as the teams had been equalized, but still held a lead over Diane & Ann until they struggled to find a Clue Box at Nurimaru APEC House, allowing the dancing mums to pass them. This resulted in Daichi & Sawaka falling to last place, and they would never be able to overcome the time lost looking for the Clue Box, ultimately being eliminated in 7th place.

Profile[]

Retrieved from axn.asia.com^[1]

Daichi[]

Age: 26
Occupation Interpreter
Hometown: Tokyo, Japan

Sawaka[]

Age: 28
Occupation Singer, Interpreter
Hometown: Tokyo, Japan

For the first time, Japan joins the cast of The Amazing Race Asia and offers up a new element to the race. Siblings Sawaka and Daichi have only recently reunited after a family misunderstanding that happened three years ago. Will the race offer them a chance to re-discover the family love they once shared, or will they buckle under the pressure of their strained family ties?

Like all kids at that age, Sawaka and Daichi, from Tokyo, Japan, enjoyed doing everything together, even fighting over toys and games. But did you know... this mild-manner pair came to blows once in an unforgettable fight that even resulted in blood being drawn?

"It started with a really silly reason. I bumped into his video game machine and all the data was gone. He was very mad and we got into a fist fight. We were even bleeding at the end," recalls a sweet Sawaka, who works as a singer/songwriter and interpreter.

Nonetheless, the siblings both grew up very close and often played sports together (both love soccer and basketball). And even though Daichi holds a black belt in Karate, Sawaka was always keeping a lookout for her younger brother.

"She was so caring that I got embarrassed in front of my friends," he jokes of her sometimes overprotective nature.

So how did these two siblings who have so much in common let things fall apart? A few years ago, Daichi chose to get married without informing his family. When it was discovered, this secret union was a big blow to Sawaka and the start of some unhappy memories to follow. But both are keen to put their discord behind them and race for the grand prize.

The race could be the perfect solution for the both of them to get back on as a team, especially since they will be using special skills that they picked up while growing up in various cities around the world (Mexico, China, and United States) for almost two decades. Besides being fluent in English, Japanese and Spanish, Sawaka and Daichi have a wealth of experience surviving in countries where they are out of sync with the local culture and language.

As for their reasons for taking part, Sawaka has long been a fan of reality television shows and couldn't resist applying when she found out that Japan residents were also allowed to enter. More importantly, the singer also sees the show as a stepping stone in getting her music beyond Japan. "This is a chance for many people to listen to my music," she says.

Interesting! Watch out for this feisty yet fun duo as they possibly fight or talk their way through the race to the finish line... and there Sawaka might just belt out a song or two!

The Amazing Race Asia 2[]

Race History[]

Daichi & Sawaka's Race History
Episode	Leg	Destination(s)	Detour Choice (underlined)	Roadblock Performer	Placement	Notes
1	1	Singapore → Philippines	Dare / Stair	No Roadblock	8 of 10
2	2	Philippines	Heel / Wheel	Daichi	8 of 10
3	3	Philippines → Hong Kong → New Zealand	Wall / Waka	Sawaka	6 of 9
4	4	New Zealand	Flax / Sticks	Daichi	5 of 8
5	5	New Zealand → Japan → South Korea	You Catch It / You Cart It	Sawaka	5 of 7	^[1]
6	5	New Zealand → Japan → South Korea	Slither / Deliver	Daichi	7 of 7	^[1]
				Average	6.80
Legend: The team finished in first place The team finished in last place and was eliminated from the race The team finished in last place in a non-elimination leg The team that won The Amazing Race The team that crossed the Finish Line second The team that crossed the Finish Line third ► The team used the Fast Forward pass > The team used the Yield < Recipient of the Yield
Notes: 1: Leg 5 is a double-length leg with two Roadblocks and two Detours, shown over two episodes. The placement listed in the top row reflect the order teams arrived at the leg's halfway point.

Post Race[]

Trivia[]

Daichi & Sawaka are the first contestants from Japan in The Amazing Race franchise.
- They are the only Japanese team in The Amazing Race Asia.
First Brother/Sister team to compete on The Amazing Race Asia.
First team to be eliminated in South Korea.