Phil Taylor will start his Tokyo Masters campaign against Haruki Muramatsu

Defending champion Phil Taylor will face Haruki Muramatsu at the 2016 Tokyo Darts Masters, while Michael van Gerwen meets Masumi Chino.

Taylor, who beat Peter Wright to claim the title in Tokyo last year, has beaten Muramatsu in their three previous meetings, including the 2012 World Championship and twice at the PDC World Cup of Darts.

The 16-time world champion and will lock horns with the 39-year-old home favourite in the final match of day one when the tournament gets underway at the Yoyogi Olympic Hall.

Muramatsu is the sport's most experienced Japanese player, having appeared in four World Championships as well as winning a PDC Tour Card in 2015, and Taylor is expecting a tough task in his first round challenge.

"The standard of darts is getting better and better all around the world." he said.

"We don't have a chance to be complacent anymore and have to make sure we are at our best whenever we play."

Wright has drawn Chikara Fujimori for his first round, while recent Shanghai Darts Masters champion Michael van Gerwen will take on Masumi Chino.

World champion Gary Anderson, a World Series winner in Dubai and Auckland this year, has drawn Seigo Asada, who has competed in the Lakeside Championship and BDO World Trophy this year.

Raymond van Barneveld meets Keita Ono, who was the Japanese qualifier for the 2016 World Championship and partnered Muramatsu in the PDC World Cup of Darts last month, while Saturday's Players Championship Ten winner Dave Chisnall is up against Shintaro Inoue.

Shanghai Darts Masters runner-up James Wade faces TV debutant Masahiro Hiraga, while another new face, Tsuneki Zaha, takes on two-time world champion Adrian Lewis.

Following Wednesday's first round, the event concludes on Thursday when the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final will all be played.