Amazing Race update - Driving around Osaka

The final four teams needed to find their way from Mumbai, India to Osaka, Japan. There's a lot of ominous foreshadowing about how Donald from Team Rude Boy and Gramps (he's Gramps) may not be able to keep up with the younger racers. Three teams are heading to Osaka via Hong Kong while TK & Rachel are going through New Delhi and Beijing; their flight left earlier but has extra stops, so either Team Birkenstock will jump ahead or (more likely) fall way back.

Sure enough (back from commercial) the other three teams arrive in Osaka first and must make their way to some castle for the next clue. Ronald & Christina of Team Miyagi and Grasshopper speak Japanese which will surely help them to get around the country. This clue is just a way-station and teams must next take a taxi to Noda Station and find the cleaning guy. He has the Roadblock: one team member must be a taxi driver in Osaka. Get ready for stress as Americans navigate crowded streets with no visible English signs to guide the way. Jennifer can't figure out the location to drive a couple while Christina doesn't seem to know how to drive. Nicolas at least has experience driving with the steering wheel on the right.

Jennifer finishes first and Team Generic Couple heads to the next clue at a temple. Christina finishes next followed by Nicolas. TK & Rachel haven't been seen since the beginning of the show. They're toast.

At the temple, it's a Detour: Sense of Touch or Sense of Smell. Teams may either play a game of soccer with miniature robots, or pick out a real flower in a store full of artificial flower only by smelling. Donald & Nick do the soccer robots while Ronald & Christina and Nathan & Jennifer smell flowers. Jennifer finds the real flower just as Nate is about to give up and they head to the Pit Stop at Tempozan Park. But it looks like Ronald & Christina are just behind so the Race is on.

Whoops, Jennifer's going to be bummed! Ronald & Christina sneak ahead and arrive at the Pit Stop in first place. Nicholas & Donald arrive to the Pit Stop in third place as the sun is well below the horizon. TK & Rachel are three hours behind but they're still compelled to go through all the tasks. This is interesting since usually the Race will employ a "mercy rule" for teams so far behind that will be eliminated anyway. That is, they'll open a clue and it will say "never mind." But after driving a taxi and sniffing flowers, Team Birkenstock makes it to the Pit Stop and Phil tells them it's another non-elimination leg. They'll compete in the next leg but there will be a "Speed Bump" as a penalty.

Final standings:

1 - Ronald & Christina - Team Miyagi and Grasshopper
2 - Nathan & Jennifer - Team Generic Couple
3 - Nicolas & Donald - Team Rude Boy and Gramps
4 - TK & Rachel - Team Birkenstock

Next week - Tensions rise in the race for the final three.