TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The upcoming two-game set between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs will be Major League Baseball's sixth season-opening series in Japan.

While Shohei Ohtani is arguably the biggest star of the series at Tokyo Dome from Tuesday, Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga are set to make history as the first Japanese pitchers to go head-to-head as MLB Opening Day starters.

The first MLB season opener in Japan took place in 2000, with Sammy Sosa playing for the Cubs and Mike Piazza for the New York Mets.

The next three series pitted Hideki Matsui's New York Yankees against the then Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2004, Daisuke Matsuzaka's Boston Red Sox against the Oakland Athletics in 2008 and Ichiro Suzuki's Seattle Mariners against the A's in both 2012 and 2019.

The last one was particularly memorable as Mariners icon Ichiro called an end to his Hall of Fame career.

After going out to right field to start the bottom of the eighth inning in Game 2 on March 21, Ichiro was called back so players from the Mariners and A's, as well as the fans, could give the star a fitting send-off.

"I regret nothing," Ichiro said during his retirement press conference.

Asked to comment on two-way star Ohtani, who was then in his second year with the Los Angeles Angels, Ichiro said, "Shohei has to become the world's No. 1 baseball player."