Japan is set to return twin giant panda cubs Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei to China in January 2026, marking the end of more than five decades of panda presence in the country. The cubs, born at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo, are officially owned by China under its panda diplomacy program.
The departure of the pandas will leave Japan without any giant pandas for the first time since 1972, when Beijing gifted pandas to Japan to commemorate the normalization of diplomatic ties. Their return comes amid strained relations between the two nations.
Thousands of visitors gathered at Ueno Zoo to bid farewell to the beloved cubs, reflecting the deep affection Japanese citizens hold for pandas. The zoo has long been a major attraction, drawing millions of visitors annually due to its panda exhibits.
The move underscores the symbolic role of pandas in international diplomacy and highlights the uncertainty of future panda loans to Japan unless bilateral ties improve.
