He faced a staunch Team USA lineup, with Dodgers star Mookie Betts in the leadoff spot. Plenty of MLB teams were paying attention when Imanaga took the ball, anticipating his move to MLB. The Cubs were one of them.

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.

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.