The event at Fukuoka Kokusai Centre will see the martial art return to Japan - the birthplace of the sport - following its sole Olympic Games appearance at Tokyo 2020.

Forty-seven countries are set be involved in all with competition starting tomorrow and running until Sunday (June 11).

Nine of the Premier League's reigning grand winners are due to be involved, including Hikaru Ono and Kakeru Nishiyama of Japan, Yorgelis Salazar of Venezuela and Dionysios Xenos of Greece.

It will be a crucial event for those hoping to be crowned as grand winner this time with just one other competition remaining in Dublin this season.

In the women's under-68 kilograms, Irina Zaretska of Azerbaijan and Elena Quirici of Switzerland will resume their battle at the top of the standings.

The men's kata will also see an intriguing competition between Nishiyama and Spain's Damian Quintero who are number one and two in the rankings respectively.

In the women's kata, Japan's Olympic silver medallist Kiyou Shimizu will be among those competing, alongside Ono.

Former heavyweight world champion Ayumi Uekusa will also be part of a large home delegation of 49 athletes.

Fukuoka has never held a Premier League leg before but Japanese capital Tokyo staged competitions in 2018 and 2019.

Ono, who lives less than 100 miles from the host city, said she had extra motivation to put on a good performance.

"I would like to compete with my very best," she said.

"Children in the Kyushu region don't usually have the chance to see first-class tournaments as most of them are held in Tokyo, so it will be a great opportunity for them to see top-level athletes in action this time."