The gardens of the Tokyo Prince Hotel are heaving with people. Polite conversation mixes with a hip-hop beat as waiters move their way through the crowd topping up champagne flutes. As a group of cameramen position themselves around the hotel's swimming pool, the iconic red and white Tokyo Tower provides the backdrop. The party has been going for a couple of hours, but the main event is just about to start.
The red and blue strip lighting around the pool dims and the music stops. A soft, commanding voice informs us that we are here to "celebrate the leaders of now as the icons of tomorrow".