The Tokyo Dome hosted matches during this year's World Baseball Classic ©Getty Images

Japan and South Korea will meet in the first match of the inaugural Asia Professional Baseball Championship, which is scheduled to take place later this year at the Tokyo Dome.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) has released the schedule for the four-day event from November 16 to 19.

Featuring players from professional leagues in Chinese Taipei, Japan and South Korea, the competition will be seen as another test of Tokyo’s hosting credentials with the city due to host the 2020 Olympic Games.

A day after the opening encounter between Japan and South Korea on November 16, South Korea will go up against Chinese Taipei.

Japan will then face Chinese Taipei on November 18 before the best two teams in round-robin play meet each other to determine the overall winner.

The event was agreed upon in January by the KBO, Nippon Professional Baseball and Chinese Professional Baseball League agreed on the event.

It is open to players under the age of 24 or those with less than three years of experience at professional level.

Each team can select up to three players over the age or experience limit.

Unlike in some international tournaments, there will be no pitch count limits and no mercy rule will be in effect.

In the event of a tie after nine innings, the team batting in the top of the 10th will have runners at first and second to begin the frame.

Japan will play South Korea in the opening match of the Asia Professional Baseball Championship ©Getty Images
Japan will play South Korea in the opening match of the Asia Professional Baseball Championship ©Getty Images

The Tokyo Dome hosted matches during this year's World Baseball Classic, which was held in March and won by the United States.

Last month, the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) said that ensuring a round-robin rather than a group format has become the priority at Tokyo 2020 rather than ensuring a second venue in the capital city.

The governing body also claimed to remain confident that players from Major League Baseball (MLB) will participate in the Japanese capital.

They hope to do this without introducing any break to the MLB season.

Men's baseball and women's softball are each returning to the Olympic programme in Tokyo following a 12-year absence since the sports last appeared at Beijing 2008.

Two six-team tournaments have been proposed in which the main venue in Yokohama will be supplemented by a second one over 300 kilometres to the north in Fukushima.

The WBSC has repeatedly called for a second venue in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, but has conceded that this will not be essential so long as a round-robin format is used.

They hope the Fukushima will only be used for opening games to reduce difficult journeys for certain teams.

Japanese organisers have proposed having two groups of three teams.