BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA
Japanese panda lovers gathered in large numbers on Sunday at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo for a final glimpse of twin giant pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, marking the end of an era as the animals prepare to return to China later this week. Their departure on Tuesday will leave Japan without a single panda for the first time in roughly 50 years, a moment that has stirred both sadness and uncertainty among fans and businesses alike.
The farewell drew crowds despite strict limits imposed by the zoo, including a one-minute viewing cap per visitor in the panda enclosure. Many visitors clutched panda-themed plush toys, wore black-and-white clothing in tribute, and raised smartphones to capture the twins as they munched on bamboo or ambled slowly across their habitat. Even those unable to secure coveted viewing tickets came to the zoo simply to mark the moment and say goodbye.
Japan’s relationship with pandas dates back to 1972, when China sent the first pair as a gesture celebrating the normalization of diplomatic ties between the two countries. The arrival of those pandas sparked a nationwide fascination that has endured for decades, turning successive generations of the black-and-white bears into beloved national icons. In total, more than a dozen pandas have lived in Japan since then, drawing millions of visitors and becoming deeply woven into popular culture.
Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, born at Ueno Zoo in 2021, have been among the most popular. Their return to China comes amid strained relations between Tokyo and Beijing, making the prospect of replacement pandas increasingly remote. While China continues to lend pandas to overseas zoos, it retains ownership of the animals and their offspring, and new arrangements often depend on broader diplomatic goodwill.
Among those bidding farewell was longtime panda fan Michiko Seki, dressed in a panda-patterned shirt and carrying a camera she has used for years. She said she was relieved to see the twins looking healthy and lively during their final days in Japan. Seki began photographing pandas when Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei’s older sister, Xian Xian, lived at the zoo before her return to China two years ago. For her, the animals represent comfort rather than politics. “They are animals that give people peace of mind,” she said. “I hope politicians can find a way, because Japan needs pandas.”
Chinese officials have been cautious in responding to questions about sending new pandas to Japan. A spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry said the animals are deeply loved by many Japanese people and encouraged fans to visit them in China, stopping short of any commitment to future loans.
The emotional bond between Japan and its pandas is perhaps best embodied by Takahiro Takauji, a web engineer whose daily life has revolved around the animals for more than a decade. His fascination began 15 years ago after seeing the twins’ parents, Shin Shin and Ri Ri, shortly after their arrival from China. Since then, Takauji has visited Ueno Zoo almost every day, amassing a personal archive of more than 10 million panda photographs and publishing several photo books.
On Sunday, he joined thousands competing for online reservations to see Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei one last time. During his one-minute viewing slot, he raised his camera above the crowd and fired off thousands of shots, determined to capture every movement. Back home, in a room filled with panda ornaments and mascots, he carefully reviewed the images and uploaded them to his popular blog, “Every Day Pandas.” Having followed the twins since birth, he said parting with them feels deeply personal. “I never thought there would be a day when Japan would have no pandas,” he said.
The pandas’ departure also highlights broader tensions between Japan and China, which have intensified in recent years over security concerns, trade frictions and territorial disputes in the East China Sea. Relations have been further strained by remarks from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting that any Chinese action against Taiwan could prompt Japanese involvement. Diplomatic unease has even spilled into consular affairs, with Japan’s government acknowledging delays by China in approving a replacement consul in one of its regional missions.
Pandas have long played a symbolic role in Chinese diplomacy. Native to southwestern China, they are lent abroad as gestures of goodwill and as part of conservation and research partnerships. While China initially gifted pandas outright in the 1970s, it shifted to a leasing model in the 1980s, with host countries paying fees that support habitat protection and scientific programs.
Japan has previously seen panda diplomacy affected by political tensions. Plans to bring a panda to the northern city of Sendai following the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami were shelved after a territorial dispute flared the following year, underscoring how closely the animals’ movements can track the state of bilateral relations.
Within Japan, pandas are more than zoo attractions. Their images adorn cookies, stationery, toys and shop windows around Ueno, while statues and themed displays draw visitors well beyond the zoo gates. Local businesses worry about the economic fallout of their absence. Economists estimate that pandas contribute tens of billions of yen annually to the local economy through tourism and merchandise sales.
Asao Ezure, who manages a souvenir shop near Ueno Zoo, said pandas are inseparable from the area’s identity. Standing beneath a sign featuring cartoon images of Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, he said he has no plans to take it down. “Pandas are the star of Ueno,” he said. “I believe they will come back someday.”
For now, however, Japan faces a panda-free future, an outcome that few fans ever imagined. As the final visitors filed past the enclosure on Sunday, many lingered for a last look, aware they were witnessing the close of a half-century chapter in Japan’s cultural and diplomatic history.
Original article
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