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About 108,000 people applied for just 4,400 pitching slots for the final day. Many visitors were seen crying as they waved goodbye to the panda.
People gather to see the panda twins and say goodbye (Credit: AP)
Thousands of people gathered at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday to bid farewell to Japan’s last two giant pandas before they return to China this week.
The farewell marked the end of an era, as the animals’ departure will leave the country without any pandas for the first time in fifty years.
Visitors queued for hours to get a last glimpse of twins Xiao Xiao and Li Li, who are scheduled to return to China on Tuesday.
Videos shared online showed people waiting in line with intense emotions, as the zoo was filled with families, children and longtime panda lovers.
About 108,000 people applied for just 4,400 pitching slots for the final day. Many visitors were seen crying as they waved goodbye to the panda.
Thousands of people lined up Tuesday outside the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, a day after officials announced that the famous panda twins will return to their home in China next month. With their departure, Japan will be left without pandas for the first time in nearly half a century. pic.twitter.com/UL8o9IWV9s– Associated Press (@AP) December 16, 2025
CNN reported that Japan received its first giant pandas in 1972 on the occasion of the normalization of diplomatic relations with China. Over the years, more pandas were brought from China, while some were born in Japan, and they quickly became some of the most beloved attractions in the country’s zoos.
However, even pandas born on Japanese soil remain under Chinese ownership, in line with Beijing’s long-standing policy of “panda diplomacy,” CNN reported. Under this approach, China treats giant pandas as national symbols and sends them abroad as a gesture of friendship to countries seeking closer relations with them.
While the pandas’ return to China was planned in advance, their departure was widely seen as a symbol of strained relations between Japan and China.
January 26, 2026, 8:11 PM IST
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