Thousands of visitors poured into Ueno Zoo on Tuesday after officials confirmed that Japan’s final two giant pandas would soon be heading back to China.
The zoo said on Monday that the four year old pandas, Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao, are scheduled to return to China at the end of January, ahead of a February deadline.
The announcement sparked disappointment across Japan, where the pandas have long been cherished by the public.
Although their return had been planned for years, many people see their departure as symbolic. Some feel it reflects the cooling of ties between China and Japan amid growing geopolitical tensions.
Relations between the two countries have been strained in recent weeks. Last month, Beijing reacted angrily after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could prompt a military response from Tokyo.
Tensions between the nations remain elevated.
On Tuesday, Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao dominated Japanese news coverage as television cameras showed large crowds lining up outside the zoo.
Many visitors arrived early in the morning, wearing panda themed hats and carrying matching bags, hoping for one last glimpse of the animals.
Hiroyo Kashio, a 60 year old hospitality worker, said they wished the pandas could stay in Japan forever.
While they acknowledged that the animals belong to China, they said they hoped the pandas would stay in Japan since the pandas were born at the Tokyo zoo.
Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei
The twin pandas, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, were born at Ueno Zoo in June 2021. Since their parents left Japan last year, the siblings have become a major draw, bringing in large crowds of visitors.
After they depart, Japan will be without pandas for the first time since 1972.
Hitoshi Suzuki, the zoo’s head of animal care and exhibitions, said the arrival of the twins brought both emotional value and unforgettable experiences to everyone.
China has a long tradition of lending pandas to friendly nations, though there have been occasions when the animals were returned to express displeasure.
Giant pandas are native to China and can weigh more than 300 pounds. Under loan agreements, the animals usually return to China once the terms end, and cubs born abroad are no exception.
Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei will be available for public viewing for the final time on January 25. The zoo is anticipating high volumes of visitors and has since begun limiting viewing time at the panda enclosure to about one minute starting Tuesday.
Beginning next week, guests will need to reserve tickets online. For the final 12 days, the zoo plans to use a lottery system to decide who will be able to see the pandas one last time.
