For the past 24 years, Hotel Okura Tokyo has been privileged to maintain one of Tokyo's most prestigious lecture series — the Executive Luncheon Meeting. Inaugurated in 1979, the ELM has served as a forum for discussion of important political, economic, commercial, and social issues of the day.


In establishing the Executive Luncheon Meeting, Hotel Okura Tokyo sought to provide more than just a prominent speaking venue in downtown Tokyo. Since its 1962 founding, "the Okura" has served as a focal point for the city's international community to gather together in a relaxed, informal setting; the ELM lectures, which take place in English or in Japanese with simultaneous interpretation, are an affirmation of the hotel's commitment to supporting this community through educational and informative speeches.


The Executive Luncheon Meeting attracts prominent voices from government, business, and academia to its podium each year, and lectures take place in the grand banquet halls of Hotel Okura Tokyo. Previous ELM distinguished speakers include Mr. Richard Armitage, Mr. Michael Dell,
Mr. Bill Emmott, Dr. Ezra Vogel, Mr. Joichi Ito, and Dr. Kurt Campbell, among others. As the topics tend to have broad appeal, the audience is a blend of Japanese and foreigners from many different fields, including business, academia, and the diplomatic corps.


Executive Luncheon Meetings are two hour events that typically begin with a pre-luncheon host bar offered from 12:00 p.m. to 12:20 p.m. Speeches begin from 1:00 p.m. and tend to be around 45 minutes in length, with time set aside at the end for questions.