Yu Darvish leaving Japan was the major story of the MLB offseason. When the season begins later this week, the headlines will all be about Ichiro Suzuki coming back.

Ichiro will participate in a regular-season game in Japan for the first time since his NPB days with the Orix BlueWave when his Seattle Mariners face the Oakland Athletics in the 2012 MLB Opening Series Japan at Tokyo Dome.

Ichiro last played in Japan as a member of Samurai Japan during the 2009 World Basebal Classic. He's also participated in MLB All-Star tours to Japan as well as the WBC, but never in an official major league game.