The Japan Open has featured on the World Tour ever since it first begin in 1996, but Ai Fukuhara's victory over South Korea's Moon Hyun-jung in 2013 was the only exception.

Fukuhara, seeded seventh, will be among those seeking a second triumph along with team-mate Kasumi Ishikawa.

But Chinese quartet Liu Shiwen, Ding Ning, Zhu Yuling and Li Xiaoxia are all present for a tournament seen as a key step ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

China’s defending champion Chen Meng is the only member of the world's top eight ranked players not on the entry list.

Two-time former winner Feng Tianwei of Singapore should be another contender.

Five Chinese heavyweights also lead the entries in the men's singles.

World champion Ma Long is joined by Olympic champion Zhang Jike in a first international event after each was confirmed in the nation's singles team for Rio 2016.

They will be joined by Xu Xin, a squad member of the team event, and Fan Zhendong, who will not participate in Brazil despite being ranked second in the world.

Japan's fifth ranked Jun Mizutani will lead the home charge and take-on three other players ranked in the world's top 10: Taiwan's Chuang Chih-yuan, Hong Kong's Wong Chun Ting and Belarus' Vladimir Samsonov.

Action is due to start tomorrow and finish on Sunday (June 19).