NAGANO - As the Beijing Olympic flame is due to arrive in Japan's Nagano city for its 16th stop of overseas torch relay, organizers, friendly Japanese people and Japan-based Chinese students and emigrants said they are ready for a smooth and successful relay.
A senior Japanese citizen (L), who is the eldest torch bearer of Beijing Olympic torch relay in Nagano, speaks in an interview Friday April 25, 2008. [Xinhua]
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"I feel so lucky because I can watch the relay from my daily position," said a shop owner along the planned relay route, which covers most of the famous historical sites and modern landmarks of the central Japanese city.
"I don't think anything may sabotage the event since Japan is quite safe and detailed preparation for order and security has been underway," she told Xinhua.
The flame was escorted to Nagano from Tokyo's Haneda Airport Friday morning and will be passed consecutively by a total of 80 torchbearers along a 18.7 kilometers route in the city starting at about 8:30 a.m. Saturday morning. The entire relay is to last for about three hours.
According to Japanese organizers, every torchbearer and the two Chinese staff taking close care of the torch are to be safeguarded by five sport-costumed Japanese riot police in a tight circle along the route, with nearly a hundred Japanese police forming two moving lines on both sides.
Senichi Hoshino, manager of the Japan national baseball team, will be the first runner, organizers at the Nagano municipal government said.
However, details regarding the sequence of other torchbearers will not be released in advance for security reasons, organizers said, citing concerns over spectators' gathering at specific locations.
Japanese National Police Agency Commissioner General Hiroto Yoshimura has pledged to take all possible measures to ensure smooth procession of the torch relay and safety of people related with it.
Among the torchbearers will be famous table tennis star Ai Fukuhara, Athens Olympic women's marathon gold medalist Mizuki Noguchi, and Japan's "King of Breaststroke" Kosuke Kitajima.
Chinese ambassador Cui Tiankai and two other Japan-based Chinese, one representing students and the other representing emigrants, are the only three Chinese on the list of runners.
"Though the distance for each bearer will be as short as only about 200 meters, I fully understand the significance of the torch and will take every step wholeheartedly. I am to properly fulfill my mission and contribute to the success of the entire torch relay," Cui said.
Zhang Bi, who will take part in the relay on behalf of 100,000 Chinese students in Japan, said he is proud to be a "civil ambassador" and is confident of exhibiting the healthy, active and energetic image of Chinese youth to the world.
Friendly local civilians are waiting for the flame with great passion.
