Photo/Illutration Ichiro Suzuki hits a triple in Denver, Colorado, in August 2016 to reach 3,000 career hits in Major League Baseball. (Yasuhiro Sugimoto)

Ichiro Suzuki, whose outstanding play in Japanese baseball led him to international stardom in the major leagues, was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Suzuki, 51, and former pitcher Hitoki Iwase, 50, were added to the Player Division of the Hall of Fame.

Masayuki Kakefu, 69, a former third baseman known for his slugging, was selected in the Expert Division, while Hiroya Tomizawa, 93, a former Central League umpire, received a special award.

The Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Tokyo’s Bunkyo Ward announced the class of 2025 on Jan. 16.

With the new additions, the total number of Hall of Fame members has reached 222.

Suzuki was not only a hitting machine and base-stealing threat, but he was also known for making spectacular catches as a rightfielder and gunning down baserunners with his strong arm.

He recorded an extraordinary 4,367 hits throughout his professional career mainly with the Seattle Mariners in the major leagues and the Orix BlueWave in Nippon Professional Baseball.

Players are eligible for the Japanese Hall of Fame five years after retirement.

Suzuki joins only six other players--Victor Starffin, Sadaharu Oh, Hideo Nomo, Kimiyasu Kudo, Tomoaki Kanemoto and Hideki Matsui--to have achieved induction on the first ballot.

Later this month, Suzuki is widely expected to become the first Japanese player to be inducted into Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame. The official announcement is scheduled for Jan. 22, Japan time.