Thousands bid farewell to Japan’s last two giant pandas at Ueno Zoo before their return to China, amid strained diplomatic relations.
TOKYO: Thousands of fans flocked to Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo for a final glimpse of Japan’s last two giant pandas.
The four-year-old twins, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, will return to China at the end of January, ahead of a February 20 deadline.
Their departure marks the end of an era, leaving Japan without pandas for the first time since 1972, the year it normalised diplomatic relations with China.
The announcement made national news, disappointing a nation with a long-standing affection for the animals.
“I want these pandas to stay in Japan forever,” said 60-year-old hospitality worker Hiroyo Kashio.
“I know they belong to China, but since they were born in Japan, I really want them to stay in Ueno Zoo.”
The twins were born at the zoo in June 2021 and became a major attraction after their parents returned to China last year.
“The birth of these twins truly gave us so much, both in terms of experience and emotional impact,” said Hitoshi Suzuki, the chief of animal care and exhibition at Ueno Zoo.
Their move comes amid recently deteriorated China-Japan relations over geopolitical matters, including tensions regarding Taiwan.
“Maybe our prime minister’s comments had some influence on this,” visitor Kashio speculated.
“But pandas shouldn’t be political. They’re symbols of friendship between Japan and China.”
China has a history of using panda diplomacy, loaning the animals to allies and sometimes recalling them.
Giant pandas, native to China, typically return home when loan agreements end, including cubs born overseas.
Anticiping huge crowds, Ueno Zoo began restricting panda viewing to about a minute per visitor on Tuesday.
The zoo will require online reservations starting next week until the twins’ final viewing day on January 25.
A lottery will be held to select viewers for the last 12 days of their stay. – Reuters
