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Japan’s Last Pandas Leave for China Today, Ending a 50-Year Era

The move follows China’s policy that pandas born overseas remain its property, requiring their return to Sichuan breeding centers.

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Pandas de peluche en una máquina de garra en un local de videojuegos cerca del zoológico de Ueno Zoo en Tokio, el jueves 8 de enero de 2026. (AP Foto/Louise Delmotte)
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Overview

  • Ueno Zoo twins Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei are scheduled to depart on January 27 to join conservation and breeding programs in Sichuan after a loan that was due to expire in February.
  • Their departure leaves Japan without any giant pandas for the first time since the species arrived as a diplomatic gift in 1972.
  • Final public viewings drew large crowds, with timed one‑minute viewing windows and a lottery reservation system because of high demand.
  • China has offered no commitment to send replacements as relations with Tokyo have cooled; a Foreign Ministry spokesperson instead invited Japanese fans to visit pandas in China.
  • Local officials and businesses expect a tourism hit, with estimates ranging from roughly ¥20 billion in annual losses to more than ¥30 billion in the twins’ first year of public display.