Seiya Suzuki, right, and Shota Imanaga, left, of the Chicago Cubs, pose for photographers after attending an official news conference Friday, March 14, 2025, in Tokyo, before the Cubs play their MLB opening baseball games against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Tokyo Dome next week.

After Imanaga was informed that he would be the Cubs’ Opening Day starter in Japan in two weeks, he reflected on his country’s rich baseball culture and the significance of this matchup against Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Los Angeles Dodgers. A Chicago reporter then naturally wondered about Imanaga’s history in the Tokyo Dome.

Seiya Suzuki was too young and not yet into baseball when the Chicago Cubs last played at the Tokyo Dome 25 years ago. But the memory of being in the ballpark in 2004 and watching Japanese great Hideki Matsui slug a home run for the New York Yankees still resonates with the 30-year-old Suzuki.