Japan’s last two pandas, twins Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, are leaving Ueno Zoo for China on Tuesday, ending a half-century tradition and leaving the country without pandas for the first time in 50 years.
The departure comes amid worsening diplomatic tensions between Tokyo and Beijing, reducing the likelihood of replacement pandas. China first sent pandas to Japan in 1972 as a symbol of normalized relations.
The current twins, born at Ueno Zoo in 2021, have drawn huge crowds despite one-minute viewing limits. Visitors have been taking photos and waving panda-themed items, celebrating the animals’ presence.
Dedicated panda fan Takahiro Takauji has followed the twins since birth, taking millions of photos and publishing books on them. “I never imagined there would come a day when pandas would be gone from Japan,” he said.
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Giant pandas have long been part of Chinese diplomacy, gifted or leased to countries worldwide as symbols of goodwill and conservation. Japan’s strained relations with China, fueled by disputes over Taiwan and the East China Sea, have cast doubt on future panda arrivals.
The absence of pandas is expected to cost Japan roughly 20 billion yen ($128 million) annually in tourism and commerce, highlighting their cultural and economic importance.