Overview
- Tokyo officials set the return window for Xiao Xiao (male) and Lei Lei (female) to January 26–31, after which Japan will have no pandas in domestic zoos for the first time since 1972.
- Public viewing runs through January 25 with phased rules: Dec. 16–21 walk-up lines, Dec. 23–Jan. 12 online reservations on a first-come basis, and Jan. 14–25 by lottery.
- Crowds surged after the announcement, with daily caps, viewing limited to about one minute per panda, and reported waits stretching to four to five hours.
- Officials say the late-January timing reflects coordination with Chinese quarantine and facility schedules under the loan agreement’s February deadline.
- Ueno staff will isolate the twins for 30 days and conduct medical checks before shipment, while Tokyo continues to seek a new loan that China has so far only acknowledged without committing.