Hundreds of people gathered in Tokyo on Monday to bid farewell to twin pandas Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao as they departed for China, leaving Japan without any of the beloved bears for the first time in 50 years. The animals were transported by truck from Ueno Zoological Gardens, their birthplace, disappointing many fans who had grown attached to the four-year-olds.
“I’ve been coming to watch them since they were born,” said Nene Hashino, a woman in her 40s wearing a panda-themed jacket and clutching a stuffed bear toy. “It feels like my own children are going somewhere far away. It’s sad.” The pandas’ abrupt return was announced last month amid a diplomatic spat after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hinted at possible military intervention over Taiwan, provoking Chinese ire.
The animals were part of China’s “panda diplomacy” programme, symbolising friendship since ties were normalised in 1972. Their repatriation comes a month before their loan period expires in February, according to the Tokyo metropolitan government, which operates Ueno zoo. China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun confirmed the return under the relevant bilateral agreement, adding that Japan’s public would be welcome to see pandas in China.
Japan has reportedly sought to loan a new pair of pandas, but a weekend poll by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper found 70% of respondents opposed further negotiations on the matter. On Sunday, Ueno zoo hosted 4,400 lottery winners for a final viewing. On Monday, well-wishers in panda-themed attire lined the streets as the windowless truck departed. “I lost one part of my heart,” said Daisaku Hirota, a 37-year-old shop worker.
Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao were born in 2021 to mother Shin Shin, who arrived in 2011 and returned to China last year due to declining health. Experts noted that China routinely recalls pandas from foreign countries, and the timing may not be purely political. “If you talk about [Chinese] politics, the timing of sending pandas is what counts,” said Masaki Ienaga, a professor at Tokyo Woman’s Christian University. “But pandas are special. They have strong customer-drawing power.”
