The 2021 Fukuoka Marathon champion Michael Githae leads a competitive Kenyan field over the same distance in Tokyo next month.
Githae will be one of the frontrunners for the coveted title having won the Fukuoka event in December in 2:07:51.
Githae will have Simon Kariuki for the company in the event. Kariuki finished third in the Lake Biwa Marathon last year in a time of 2:07:18.
Benard Kimani, who finished fourth at the Eindhoven Marathon in 2019 in 2:11:31, and Daniel Kitonyi who has a personal best of 2:14.41 set at the Nagano Marathon two years ago, will be seeking to upset the formbook.
Nicholas Kosimbei, who has a personal best of 1:00.20 in the half marathon, will also make his debut in the full marathon.
Japan will be represented by Kengo Suzuki, who has a PB of 2:04:56 set at the Lake Biwa Marathon alongside Hidekazu Hijikata (PB 2:06:26), Kyohei Hosoya (PB 2:06:35), and 2020 Fukuoka winner Yuya Yoshida (2:07:05).
Seven men with recent times under 2:07, 31 under 2:10, 112 under 2:20, and two debuting sub-61 half marathoners have confirmed participation.
Elsewhere, the Osaka Marathon is slated for February 27 with two Kenyans in the field.
The 2018 Lake Biwa winner Joseph Macharia Ndirangu with a PB of 2:07:53 and James Rungaru (PB 2:08:250 will compete at the event.
