The 16th leg torch relay of the Beijing Olympic flame has concluded in the central Japanese city of Nagano.

Loud cheers for the motherland and of wishes to the Beijing Olympics were offered along the route as thousands of Chinese students and local residents welcomed the flame.

Tsunekazu Takeda is president of the Japanese Olympic Committee.

"Our Japanese athletes hope to get good results in the Beijing Olympics, and we also hope the Beijing Olympics can go on smoothly, successfully and completely."

The president also said he was upset that some Chinese students were injured by right-wing activists during the relay.

"We are very regretful if such things really happened. We hope the injuries were not serious."

He said as Japan's capital Tokyo is bidding for the 2016 summer Olympics, violence can only damage the whole country's image.

China's ambassador to Japan is Cui Tiankai.

"Those who tried to disturb the relay were just negligible when compared with the majority of the Nagano people in support of the event. I'm confident that the torch relay will be a success, as will the Beijing Olympics."

The flame is due to arrive in Seoul, the South Korean capital, on Sunday.