A temple in central Japan has decided to pull out, and not serve as the starting point for the Japanese leg of the Olympic torch relay next week. They cited safety concerns and the crackdown on Buddhists in Tibet for their change of heart.

The Buddhist Zenkoji Temple in Nagano accepted the offer to kick off the April 26 relay. But temple officials decided to pull out after seeing the recent rash of killings of Buddhists in Tibet.

The temple will hold an executive meeting within a few days to formally decide whether to withdraw from the relay route.

Eighty torch-bearers are expected to jog the 18.5 km route, which had so far not been altered or cut short despite chaotic demonstrations at some of the torch's stops around the world.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura says Japan wants to ensure security and prevent confusion for the Japanese leg, although he added that police at home wont need help from China.

A Nagano official says there will be no security role for Chinese paramilitary flame guards in Japan. The men dressed in the blue and white jumpsuits have been criticized elsewhere for their heavy-handed approach to manage the torch's progress.