The bj-league will add a pair of new franchises for the 2013-14 season, and Cohey Aoki, the only six-time All-Star in league history, is returning to the capital city.
Monday's announcements pave the way for a busy month of preparations as the league slows down its operations for a few weeks before getting ready for preseason training camps to begin.
The newest expansion teams will be based in Nara and Aomori Prefectures, giving the league 22 clubs after the defection of the Chiba Jets to the re-branded JBL for the 2013-14 campaign. Chiba made its announcement after playing just one season in the bj-league, a rocky 18-34 campaign that saw the team go through two presidents.