NAGANO, Japan, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The 16th leg torch relay of the Beijing Olympic flame concluded Saturday noon in Nagano city of central Japan.

      Famous Japanese athlete and the last runner in the relay Mizuki Noguchi, Athens Olympic women's marathon gold medallist, enkindled the cauldron with the torch, marking the end of the flame's passing in Japan.

      Hundreds of Chinese students and scholars in Japan convened at Wakasato Park, the relay's terminus at south of the Nagano central railway station to celebrate the smooth and successful finish of the relay.

      Loud cheers for the motherland and of wishes to the Beijing Olympics never stopped during the closing ceremony held in the park. Their ebullience and passion were not affected at all by the expected rain even when it turned to be larger as the ceremony went on.

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

      We are happy to see that the Olympic torch brought the spirits of peace and friendship to Nagano, Washizawa said in his address.

      Li Binghua, for his part, expressed gratitude for the Japanese side's thorough preparation and circumspect efforts for the relay.

      At least five helicopters belonging to Japanese media hovered over the torch procession till the end of the relay.

      A series of performances, including traditional dancing by Japanese children, were staged in the park shortly after the ceremony. An orchestra waved off groups of Chinese spectators with its music.

      Zhang Bi, a torch bearer representing all Chinese students in Japan, told Xinhua he communicated with local civilians when waiting for his role, and was deeply impressed by their interest in the relay.

      "I felt much stronger with the support of friendly Japanese spectators and hundreds of Chinese youth all along the way," Zhang said.

      Wu Zhishen, who ran on behalf of Chinese emigrants in Japan, said he held the torch with great confidence as "there are more than 600,000 Japan-based Chinese behind me."

      "The torchbearer prior to me was a Japanese, and the one after me was an American. It's really an international relay", Wu said, adding that he was especially moved by Japanese spectators' love for sports and the Olympics as many of them asked for a touch of the torch.

      The Chinese embassy will organize a banquet for the flame delegation and distinguished Japanese guests in Tokyo in the evening.

      The flame is to get on its way to Seoul for its 17th stop later Saturday.