Japan bid an emotional farewell to its final resident giant pandas as two beloved bears departed Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo for China, bringing a long-standing symbol of friendship between the two nations to a pause.
The pandas, Xiang Xiang and Xiao Xiao, were transported from the zoo to Narita International Airport on January 25 before boarding a flight bound for China’s Sichuan province. Their departure drew large crowds, with many visitors arriving early in the morning to catch a final glimpse of animals that had become national favorites.
Xiang Xiang, a 6-year-old female born at Ueno Zoo, captured public affection from an early age. She is the offspring of Ri Ri and Shin Shin, a panda pair that was returned to China in early 2025 after the conclusion of their loan agreement. Xiao Xiao, a four-year-old male, was also in Japan under a time-limited arrangement with Chinese authorities.
Zoo officials confirmed that the pandas’ contracts had reached their scheduled end dates and were not extended. Earlier in the same week, another panda pair was returned from a zoo in Wakayama prefecture, meaning Japan currently has no giant pandas on public display.
While the animals’ return followed contractual timelines, observers note that broader diplomatic conditions may have influenced the absence of renewal discussions. Giant pandas have long played a role in China’s soft diplomacy, often loaned to countries during periods of stable or improving relations.
For more than 50 years, pandas have held a special place in Japanese society. The first pair arrived at Ueno Zoo in 1972, shortly after Japan and China normalized diplomatic relations. Since then, generations of visitors have grown up with the bears, viewing them as gentle ambassadors rather than political symbols.
As the transport vehicles rolled away, some visitors wiped away tears, reflecting the deep emotional bond the public had formed with the animals. Many expressed hope that pandas would one day return, should conditions allow.
For now, the empty panda enclosures at Ueno Zoo stand as a quiet reminder of a unique era in international cultural exchange-one defined not by treaties or summits, but by black-and-white bears that brought people together.
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