Pandas leaving Japan as China ties strainedReuters, TOKYOPanda fans yesterday flocked to the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo to say goodbye to its star attractions — two giant pandas, who will be sent back to China at the end of the month. The departure of four-year-old twins Xiao Xiao (曉曉) and Lei Lei (蕾蕾) would leave Japan panda-less for the first time since 1972, prompting thousands to apply for lottery-assigned tickets to say goodbye. “I’ve been coming since the parents of Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei were here,” 54-year-old Machiko Seki said. Photo: AFPWhile their move to China has been planned for some time, the pandas’ coming absence has been viewed as a reflection of deteriorating Japan-China relations in the past few months. “Today, I didn’t win the lottery for the panda viewing, so I can’t see the pandas in person,” 49-year-old housewife Akiko Kawakami said.

Source: Taipei Times January 25, 2026 16:20 UTC