Twelve teams will contest the tournament in South Korea ©WBSC

Japan will begin their bid for a fifth consecutive Women's Baseball World Cup title against Canada, The Netherlands and India in Group B in Gijang.

The world number one side have learnt their opponents after the draw for the event in South Korea was made by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WSBC).

Twelve teams have been placed into three groups of four, with the governing body arranging them via world rank.

In Group A, hosts South Korea will play Venezuela, Cuba and newcomers Pakistan.

Group C will feature the United States, the number two ranked side in the world.

The Americans are the only other team to win the World Cup, having triumphed in the first two editions in 2004 and 2006.

Three groups of four have been announced
Three groups of four have been announced ©WBSC

They will meet Australia, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong.

"Featuring the top female baseball players in the world, the LG Presents WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup in Gijang promises to be the most exciting spectacle of women's baseball ever," said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari.

The full schedule for the tournament will be announced in the coming weeks.

The official slogan of the tournament is "For the Title of World Champion" while a new emblem and website have been launched.

Korean television company SBS has been awarded the exclusive rights to serve as the host broadcaster, with competition taking place between September 3 and 11.

The top two nations from each group will advance to the Super Round, which will determine the pairings for the World Championship title game and the third/fourth place play-off.