The Cubs will open their season as the home team — but only technically speaking. On March 18 and 19, they will play in a place familiar to stars Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki: Japan. Dubbed the Tokyo Series, the two games will pit the Cubs against the defending World Series champion Dodgers, featuring Japanese compatriots Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, at the 43,500-seat Tokyo Dome. It’s the Cubs’ first appearance in Tokyo since 2000, when they played in MLB’s first-ever regular-season game overseas.

Perhaps it’s not the most convenient destination for the traveling fan. But it sure beats starting the season in St. Louis. Here, some suggestions for your itinerary.

Watch the Cubs take on a couple of local squads
The team will play exhibitions against Tokyo’s Yomiuri Giants and the Hanshin Tigers. Nippon Professional Baseball fans have their own traditions: Outfield seats are reserved for the oendan, a cheering section for the hardcore, complete with bands and choreographed songs. (Take note: Wearing the opposing team’s gear is strictly forbidden.) They make Bleacher Bum chants like “Right field sucks” seem minor league.

Visit the Wrigley Field of Tokyo
The city’s oldest ballpark, the 99-year-old Meiji Jingu Stadium, is one of four remaining pro stadiums anywhere that hosted Babe Ruth. It’s currently home to Tokyo’s other NPB team, the Yakult Swallows, and the single-season home run king among Japanese-born players, Munetaka Murakami, who is set to move to MLB after the 2025 season.

Belly up to a bar for baseball obsessives
Forget Sluggers and the Cubby Bear. Kiten!, a cozy sports izakaya covered with NPB memorabilia, is the spot for watching baseball. With only about 20 seats (reservations are required), it features three 40-inch TVs and a 100-inch projected screen. For 1,000 yen (about $7), you can name any drink for a year. Anyone fancy a Game 7 Rain Delay?

Shop for a souvenir
Want to show all your friends back in Chicago that you’re a baseball hipster who follows the Japanese league? Stop by Selection Shinjuku, a specialty store that sells NPB and MLB gear. It is one of the few shops to carry jerseys and hats from every team across Japan in one place, including unique alternates and rare throwbacks. Want a Shota Imanaga national team jersey? This is where to find it.

Get a taste of Chicago
No one goes to Tokyo for the pizza — and certainly not for the Japanese take on deep dish, which can be a lost-in-translation gooey fondue. But if you need a taste of home, DevilCraft’s four Tokyo locations serve up craft beer and “shikago” pizza, as it’s known in Japan —  including one pie nicknamed the Abe Froman. Is there a sausage king of Tokyo?