On Sunday, thousands of people visited Ueno Zoo in Tokyo to say goodbye to Japan’s last giant pandas, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei. Visitors waited in long lines, some for more than three hours, to see the twin cubs one last time. Many were emotional, with some crying as they watched the pandas.
The twins were born at Ueno Zoo in 2021 to their parents, Shin Shin and Ri Ri, who were also on loan from China for breeding research. Because China owns all the pandas it sends abroad, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei must now return home. Their departure will leave Japan without any giant pandas for the first time since 1972, when the two countries first established diplomatic relations.
China has long used giant pandas as symbols of friendship, and countries that receive pandas must pay a yearly fee. Any panda cubs born in another country must be returned to China. In the past, panda loans often coincided with trade deals, such as in 2011 when two pandas were sent to Edinburgh Zoo during negotiations over salmon, cars, and energy technology. Panda loans usually last about 10 years, although extensions are sometimes possible.
The future of panda loans to Japan is uncertain. This comes at a tense time in Japan-China relations. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Japan might use its military if China attacked Taiwan, which angered Beijing. In response, China has taken measures like tightening restrictions on rare earth exports to Japan, and the two countries have engaged in increasingly hostile rhetoric.
Visitors shared their memories of watching the pandas grow. Ai Shirakawa said she had brought her son to see the pandas since he was a baby and hoped the visit would become a lasting memory. Another visitor said, “Witnessing their growth, especially since they were so small, has been such a joy.” Photographs showed many people crying as they bid the pandas farewell.
Thousands of visitors have created happy memories with Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, despite their departure from Japan. Their story reminds us that animals can bring people together across borders, and with hope, new pandas may visit Japan again in the future.
