Last two Pandas in Japan to return to China amid strained bilateral ties

TOKYO: Japan’s last two pandas, twins Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, were seen by visitors at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo on Sunday ahead of their scheduled return to China later this month, as reported by The Taipei Times. Their departure will mark the first time Japan will be without giant pandas since 1972, amid tensions between the two countries.

The two pandas were born in 2021 at the Ueno Zoo, to mother Shin Shin and father Ri Ri. The parents were returned to China in 2024, a year after the twins’ sister Xiang Xiang was also sent back.

Japan first received giant pandas in 1972 to commemorate the normalisation of diplomatic relations with China, CNN reported. Since then, additional pandas have either arrived from China or been born locally, becoming major attractions in the country.

Panda lovers in Japan flocked to Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo over the weekend to see the beloved panda twins Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei for the last time before they return to China on Jan. 27. pic.twitter.com/6bTDjUc6eq

— TaiwanPlus News (@taiwanplusnews) January 26, 2026

Although born in Japan, the pandas remain the property of China under the framework of Beijing’s ‘panda diplomacy’, CNN reported Under this policy, the Chinese government considers pandas as national symbols and goodwill ambassadors, loaning them to countries with which they wish to strengthen ties.

While the pandas’ return to China had been scheduled in advance, their impending absence has been widely seen as mirroring a downturn in Japan-China relations in recent months. Last year, China also recalled four pandas from a zoo in a Japanese town that depended heavily on panda-related tourism.

Taipei Times reported that last year in November, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that a possible Chinese attack on Taiwan could prompt a military response from Japan.

Meanwhile, Beijing has responded with a series of economic measures, including reducing flight services and issuing advisories cautioning citizens against travel to Japan. As a result, the number of Chinese visitors to Japan fell by nearly half last month compared to a year earlier, declining to about 330,000, Tourism Minister Yasushi Kaneko said last week. (ANI)