The reigning Olympic 500 metres champion and double World Sprint Championships gold medallist saw her 23-race winning streak ended at the opening World Cup of the season in Minsk.

Kodaira bounced back with victory at the second event, but was third in Nur-Sultan last weekend.

The 33-year-old will be aiming to use home advantage when she competes in the 1988 Winter Olympic Games host city.

Olga Fatkulina of Russia leads the overall standings in the discipline heading into the fourth World Cup of the campaign.

Japanese interest will also be high in the men's 500m, with Tatsuya Shinhama bidding for glory on home soil.

Ivanie Blondin and her Canadian team mates will look forward to taking on the Japanese Takagi sisters Miho and Nana, and Ayana Sato, in the women's team pursuit.

Blondin arrives in the Japanese city having won gold medals in the 5,000m and the 1,500m in the Kazakh capital last Sunday (December 8).

Joey Mantia of the United States is the one to watch in the men's mass start, while The Netherlands and Russia will be among the favourites in the team sprints.

Competition in Nagano begins tomorrow and concludes on Sunday (December 15).