Seiya Suzuki has vivid memories of going to the Tokyo Dome as a child and watching outfielder Hideki Matsui and the Yankees take on Tampa Bay.

“Honestly, at the time, he was like a figure above the cloud almost, right?” Suzuki said through interpreter Shingo Murata. “It’s like ‘Oh, this is cool. This is super impressive.’”

That little boy didn’t know he one day would be an inspiration to other Japanese kids, playing as a major leaguer at the Tokyo Dome, much like Matsui was to him.

“I never thought that I would be the one to be able to open the season in Japan as a major leaguer,” Suzuki said. “I think it’s going to be a once-in-a-lifetime memory. So, I want to prepare myself the best I can.”

Now an adult and a professional ballplayer, Suzuki understands the journey and just how much it takes to reach the majors, which makes him appreciate Matsui and others even more.

“As I entered the pros, I came over here and just going through the adjustment and kind of re-walking through the challenges that they went through, I feel more and more respect for them,” Suzuki said. “And I strive to be one of those figures that other players look up to.”

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The Cubs’ trip to Japan to open next season will be special for Suzuki and pitcher Shota Imanaga — especially facing a Dodgers team that features a pair of Japanese superstars, too, in Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

“We’re all looking forward to it,” manager Craig Counsell said. “That’s exciting. It’s something that’s an adventure.

“I think I just feel blessed that baseball is going to give you an opportunity to do something that’s really fun and really cool.”

The country has a deep passion for the game and that quartet will be front and center in the series.

“I’m really excited for it,” Imanaga said through interpreter Edwin Stanberry. “I’m hoping the fans enjoy it – the Japanese fans enjoy it over there and I want to prepare so I’m not an embarrassment or anything.”

Imanaga, like Suzuki, has memories of seeing MLB teams at the historic Tokyo Dome. The lefty saw the 2019 contest between the A’s and Mariners, which featured a pair of Japanese stars — pitcher Yusei Kikuchi and the legendary Ichiro Suzuki.

For both Imanaga and Suzuki, it’ll be their first time playing back in Japan since moving Stateside.

“It’s very special and I feel very happy about it,” Suzuki said. “And I also feel happy for the fans.

“It’s also going to be the first time in a while that I play in Japan, so I’m looking forward to that. I want to prepare the best I can.”

The duo wants to make it memorable for the fans and country that so passionately follows them.

“In Japan, that’s where I grew as a player,” Imanaga added. “I want to show them how I grew over here.”