Fans flock to zoo for final public viewing of last two pandas in Japan

TOKYO – Fans gathered at a Tokyo zoo on Jan 25 to bid farewell to the last two giant pandas in the country, long a symbol of Sino-Japanese friendship, two days before they leave for China.

The departure of Xiao Xiao and his sister, Lei Lei, will leave Japan without any pandas for the first time since 1972, when China gifted a pair to Japan following the normalisation of bilateral ties.

Prospects for a new panda loan remain uncertain amid soured ties following remarks in 2025 by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting Japan could act in the event of an attack by China on Taiwan.

Beijing has long used the giant panda as a tool of outreach and goodwill towards other nations in what is called its “panda diplomacy”.

Visitors needed a prior reservation to see the pandas at the Ueno Zoological Gardens on Jan 25, with 4,400 slots available and 24.6 times the number of people applying for them online, according to the Tokyo metropolitan government.

An eight-year-old boy who came with his parents said: “The two appeared healthy, devouring the bamboo shoots. They were cute.”

There were also visitors who went to the zoo even after failing to secure a slot.

“I plan to stay in the zoo until it closes. I hope the twin pandas both remain in good shape,” said a 60-year-old resident of Saitama prefecture, near Tokyo.

Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei will leave Japan on Jan 27 and arrive the next day at a facility in China.

Since pandas arrived in Japan half a century ago, they have won the hearts of many in Japan. They have brought economic benefits as tourist attractions and with panda-themed toys and goods.

The twin pandas were born in Japan in 2021 to their mother Shin Shin and her mate, Ri Ri, both of whom were on loan to Japan for breeding research. China retained ownership of them. KYODO NEWS