The story

Security concerns and sympathy toward Tibetans prompted a Buddhist temple in Nagano, Japan, to withdraw from participation in the Olympic torch relay next week, a temple official said on Friday.

The torch relay had been set to begin at Zenkoji Temple in Nagano, site of the 1998 Olympic Winter games -- on April 26.

"We have to protect our heritage and visitors," a temple official told reporters, citing security concerns and the "Tibet issue." Read full article »

CNN's Dan Rivers, Yoko Wakatsuki and Junko Ogura contributed to this report

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