Hundreds of people gathered in Tokyo on Sunday to bid farewell to the last giant pandas in Japan, as the beloved bears returned to China after a 50-year presence that symbolised friendship between the two Asian neighbours. The departure of twins Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao from Ueno Zoological Gardens leaves Japan without any giant pandas for the first time since 1972.
“I’ve been coming to watch them since they were born,” said Nene Hashino, a woman in her 40s wearing a panda-themed jacket. “It feels like my own children are going somewhere far away. It’s sad.” The pandas’ abrupt return was announced last month, shortly after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made remarks hinting at possible military intervention in the event of an attack on Taiwan, drawing ire from Beijing, which considers the island its own territory.
The pandas, part of China’s “panda diplomacy” programme, were repatriated a month before their loan period was due to expire in February, according to the Tokyo metropolitan government. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said: “According to the relevant agreement between China and Japan, the giant pandas … today began their return trip to China. As always, we welcome the Japanese public to come see giant pandas in China.”
Japan has reportedly sought the loan of a new pair of pandas, but a weekend poll by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper found that 70% of respondents opposed further negotiations. On Sunday, the zoo allowed 4,400 lottery winners a final glimpse of the pandas, and two days later, well-wishers lined the streets as a windowless truck carried the animals away. “I lost one part of my heart,” said Daisaku Hirota, a 37-year-old shop worker who visited the pandas regularly.
Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao were born in 2021 to Shin Shin, who arrived in Japan in 2011 and was returned to China in 2024 due to declining health. Since late last year, China has discouraged its nationals from travelling to Japan, citing security concerns, and is reportedly also restricting rare-earth exports. However, Masaki Ienaga, a professor at Tokyo Woman’s Christian University, suggested the move may not be politically motivated: “If you talk about [Chinese] politics, the timing of sending pandas is what counts,” he said, adding that pandas could return if bilateral ties improve.
