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The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs will open the 2025 Major League Baseball season with a series in Tokyo, Japan, the league announced Thursday. The two-game series will be hosted March 18-19 at the Tokyo Dome.

Both the Dodgers and the Cubs are logical choices to play in Japan as they employ some of the biggest names in recent Japanese baseball history. The Dodgers' roster includes two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and right-handed starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto; the Cubs, meanwhile, have outfielder Seiya Suzuki and lefty Shota Imanaga. 

The Dodgers, of course, opened the 2024 season overseas, splitting a two-game set with the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea.

Next spring's Dodgers-Cubs series will mark the sixth time MLB has opened a regular season in Japan. Here's a recap of the previous five times:

MLB has made a concerted effort to spread the game (and, no doubt, its brand) globally in recent years. This year, MLB also hosted additional games in Mexico City, Mexico (Astros vs. Rockies) and London, England (Mets vs. Phillies).

MLB also saw the Rays and Red Sox play spring training games in the Dominican Republic and the Yankees played an exhibition game in Mexico City against the Diablos Rojos.

"Major League Baseball is incredibly excited for this extensive slate of international games in 2024," Commissioner Rob Manfred told MLB.com last summer when the above games were announced. "Our recent efforts have produced strong enthusiasm around the globe, and we look forward to building on that foundation with returns to Mexico City and London, while also opening the season in Korea for the first time. In addition, we can't wait to celebrate the tradition of the sport in the Dominican Republic with our visit to Santo Domingo next March. We are thrilled that our fans across four different countries outside the United States and Canada will have the opportunity to see the game's stars."