Japan’s last two giant pandas left Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo on Tuesday, ending 50 years of panda presence in the country and marking a symbolic loss amid deteriorating diplomatic relations between Japan and China. The twins, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei—born at the zoo in 2021—returned to China as strained ties between Tokyo and Beijing reach their lowest point in years.
The departure underscores both the economic significance of the animals to the region and the state of Japan-China relations, which have been frayed by territorial disputes, security concerns, and recent Japanese statements on Taiwan.
Japanese panda enthusiasts gathered Sunday for a final viewing at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo, where thousands filed past the twins Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei in the days before their departure. Visitors, many carrying panda-themed toys, called out the bears’ names and used smartphones to capture them eating bamboo, marking an era’s end.
The twins—born at the zoo in 2021—departed Tuesday for China, leaving Japan without pandas for the first time since 1972. Their return comes amid the deepest strain in Japan-China relations in years, making replacement pandas unlikely in the foreseeable future.
“They are the animals that can provide tremendous comfort,” said Michiko Seki, a longtime panda fan who attended the final viewing. “Japan needs pandas, and (I) hope politicians will work something out.”
Economic and Cultural Loss
The economic impact of losing the animals will be substantial. Ueno Zoo faces an annual loss of approximately 20 billion yen, or $128 million, according to Katsuhiro Miyamoto, an economics professor at Kansai University. “If the situation continues for several years, the negative economic impact of having no pandas is expected to reach tens of billions of yen,” Miyamoto said.
The pandas have woven themselves into the fabric of Tokyo’s cultural identity. Panda images appear on cookies, sweets, stuffed dolls, stationery, and in photo books throughout the city. Panda statues sit outside train stations, and department stores maintain dedicated panda merchandise sections.
“Pandas are a symbol of Ueno, a star,” said Asao Ezure, manager of a souvenir shop near the zoo. “We worry how the pandas’ absence will affect us.”
For some fans, the departure represents a profound personal loss. Takahiro Takauji, a web engineer, has visited the zoo daily for 15 years and photographed the pandas extensively. He has taken more than 10 million photographs, publishing several photo books from his work.
“Their shape and the way they move are honestly so cute and funny,” Takauji told the Associated Press. “I never imagined there would come a day when pandas would be gone from Japan.”
Five Decades of Panda Diplomacy
Giant pandas have served as unofficial ambassadors for China’s diplomatic efforts. China first sent pandas to Japan in 1972, one month after Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai signed a joint communique normalizing ties between the countries. The first pair, Kang Kang and Lan Lan, arrived at Ueno Zoo on Oct. 28, 1972, and a dozen successors have become national celebrities.
Around the same time, China gifted pandas to the United States, France, Britain, and Germany as part of its broader diplomatic outreach. Beginning in the 1980s, China transitioned from outright gifts to leasing programs, with participating zoos paying annual fees for habitat conservation and scientific research.
Panda diplomacy has previously become entangled in political disputes. A plan to bring a panda to Sendai following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami was shelved after a territorial dispute in 2012.
Strained Ties Close the Door
Japan and China’s relationship has deteriorated across multiple fronts. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remarks that potential Chinese military action against Taiwan could draw Japanese intervention angered Beijing. Territorial disputes in the East China Sea continue as China’s regional influence grows, and security tensions have intensified.
Japan’s top government spokesperson, Minoru Kihara, acknowledged Thursday that the Japanese Consulate in Chongqing has operated without a consul for a month due to China’s delayed approval of a replacement—another sign of fractured ties.
When asked about sending replacement pandas to Japan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun declined to offer encouragement, instead offering an invitation. “I know giant pandas are loved by many in Japan, and we welcome Japanese friends to come visit them in China,” he said.
The departure marks the end of a decades-long chapter of wildlife diplomacy, replaced now by the chill between capitals and an uncertain path to reconciliation.
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