Six nations will be vying for the inaugural World Team Trophy when action gets under way at Tokyo's Yoyogi National Gymnasium on Thursday.

Japan, Canada, China, France, Russia and the United States are taking part in the three-day competition, which features two male and two female singles skaters, plus one team in pairs and ice dance for each country.

Japan will be led by 2008 world champion Mao Asada and 2007 world champion Miki Ando in ladies singles, and Takahiko Kozuka and Nobunari Oda on the men's side.