Japan and Argentina will have teams in an expanded Super Rugby competition from 2016, SANZAR confirmed on Thursday.
The inclusion of franchises from Tokyo and Buenos Aires had been mooted for some time, the governing body for Australia, New Zealand and South African rugby rubber stamping their addition.
"It gives me great pleasure to welcome the JRFU and UAR who will join the Kings from South Africa as Super Rugby prepares to expand into a bold and exciting new era," SANZAR chief Greg Peters said in a statement.
"As top 10 ranked rugby nations with established high performance level leagues and over 100,000 players each, there is no doubt as to Japan and Argentina's rugby readiness and passion for the sport.
"With a heritage stretching back some 115 years, Japan also offers tremendous infrastructure and an active fan base that we view as pivotal to the ongoing sustainability of the team."
Japan's inclusion had been considered a fait accompli given the country will host the 2019 Rugby World Cup and there is captive television audience to tap into.
"Joining the world's highest international league is a challenge that will require significant transformation and tremendous efforts by us. However, it will certainly bring innovation to not only Japan, but also the Asian region as a whole," chairman of the JRFU, Tatsuzo Yabe said.
The JRFU has also forged a relationship with the Singapore Rugby Union and Singapore Sports Hub that will see the venue host three games per year.
Argentina president Carlos Araujo said: "We now face a huge challenge both on the sporting and organisational fronts".
Both the Japanese and Argentinian teams will play in the South African Group and will be positioned in opposing conferences.
There will be a total of 18 teams in the expanded competition.
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