Seoul, South Korea
The middle stop between Tokyo and Beijing, Seoul sits well within a trio of Asian cultural experiences. South Korea came out of the Asian crisis without too many bruises (helped by a little spurning of the IMF's demands), and has westernised fairly dramatically since then; this is mirrored by the number of street karaoke bands there are singing American tunes. Itaewon and Insadong seem to be full of buskers, and they look like quite an eccentric bunch. Just check out this tap, karaoke and drum trio. A great addition to the trip, to be sure.
