Return of Ueno Zoo’s Twin Pandas Will Make Japan Panda-Less for First Time in 50 Years; Prospect for New Loan Look Difficult |
The Yomiuri Shimbun
21:00 JST, December 28, 2025
Japan will be without any giant pandas after the twin giant pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei at Ueno Zoological Gardens in Tokyo will be returned to China in late January next year.
The decision was announced by the Tokyo metropolitan government and the Tokyo Zoological Park Society on Dec. 15.
Giant pandas have been loved in Japan as the symbol of Japan-China friendship for over half a century since 1972, when two pandas arrived from China following the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries. However, there are no prospects for new loans amid deteriorating bilateral relations.
Visitors will be able to view the pandas at the Ueno Zoo until Jan. 25. With the expected rapid surge in the number of visitors, the zoo decided to limit the number of visitors to the panda enclosure to up to 4,800 a day beginning Dec. 16. The viewing time is restricted to about one minute.
Reservations for the period through Jan. 12 are accepted........