NAGANO, Japan, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The 16th leg torch relay of the Beijing Olympic flame started at 8:30 a.m. local time Saturday 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 (R), manager of the Japan national baseball team, is the first runner of 80 torchbearers during the 16th leg torch relay of the Beijing Olympic flame started at 8:30 a.m. local time Saturday, April 26, 2008, in Nagano city of central Japan.

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.

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