The 16th leg torch relay of the Beijing Olympic flame started at 8:30 a.m. local time this morning in Nagano city of central Japan.

The torch relay was kicked off at a short ceremony held in a small park surrounded by Nagano prefectural and municipal government buildings.

Senichi Hoshino, manager of the Japan national baseball team, was the first runner of 80 torchbearers for the 18.7-kilometer-long route covering most of the city's famous historical sites and modern landmarks.

Those attended the ceremony included Tsunekazu Takeda, president of the Japanese Olympic Committee, Li Binghua, vice president of the Beijing Organizing Committee of Olympic Games, Nagano Mayor Shoichi Washizawa and Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai.

"The flame brings to Japan the spirits of the upcoming Beijing Olympics, and the torch relay will remind Japanese people of their passion when the flames of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics reached the land of Japan, " said Takeda in his address.

After being lighted by the flame from the ancient Olympia of Greece, the torch passed through hands of Takeda, Li, Cui and Washizawa in a row before reaching Hoshino.

On leaving the start point, the torch procession won loud cheers from crowds, mainly Chinese students and scholars, who had been waiting along the street outside the launch ceremony. Chinese national flags formed a sea of red color over their heads.

Over five thousands Chinese students and emigrants in Japan flocked to Nagano early in the morning to support the torch relay, according to Li Guangzhe, chairman of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association in Japan.

"Perhaps this will be the closest distance for us to feel the Beijing Olympics. We will cherish the opportunity and show our biggest fervor," said Han Bing, a doctor degree candidate and vice chairman of the association.

Chinese flags, held by groups of young Chinese, decorated the streets of Nagano since early this morning. The energetic youngsters managed through narrow alleys around the torch relay route, trying to have more glance at the torch.

"I never expected myself to be so excited. Maybe it's because this is the first time for me to see so many Chinese red flags," said Junko Koizumi, an old lady living beside the location of the launching ceremony.

The torch procession is scheduled to make a 30-minute break from 10:20 a.m. at the M-Wave speed-skating gymnasium and reach the terminal at a park south of the Nagano central railway station at about 12:15 p.m.