Here is some good news for the non-soccer fans weary of the World Cup before it has even begun.

Japan's national baseball team said Wednesday it would play six games against Major League Baseball all-stars this November in what will be the first clash in eight years between MLB players and the Nippon Professional Baseball league.

Baseball games between Japan and the U.S. had "mostly been played as just friendly matches," said Hiroki Kokubo, a former slugger for the Softbank Hawks who manages Japan's national team. "But as the national team Samurai Japan, we will be playing to win."

Although participating players won't be announced until later this year, the Major League Baseball squad will have plenty of Japan natives to choose from, among them New York Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka and Kansas City Royals outfielder Norichika Aoki.

The NPB and MLB all stars will open the series at Kyocera Dome in Osaka on Nov. 12, then play three games at Tokyo Dome beginning on Nov. 14. The teams will travel to play a game at Sapporo Dome on Nov. 18, then fly south to Okinawa for a game on Nov. 20.