Japan without pandas for first time in 50 years: last 2 animals return to China

©Sid Balachandran via Unsplash

Today, 27 January, the two giant pandas, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, officially leave Tokyo's Ueno zoo to return to China. In the days leading up to their departure, thousands of visitors flocked to the park for a final greeting, turning the event into something of the likes of a small collective ritual. The influx was so great that the zoo had to introduce limited entry times, with compulsory reservations and long waiting times, with queues reaching up to three hours.

For many Japanese, it wasn't just about saying goodbye to two beloved animals (who unfortunately have lived in captivity and will not be released into the wild), but about witnessing the end of an era: with their departure, Japan will be left without pandas for the first time in more than 50 years.

Couple born in Japan but 'owned' by China

Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei were born in Tokyo in 2021, but like all giant pandas abroad, they don't belong to the country that houses them. China considers the panda a national symbol and retains ownership of each one, even if it's born outside its borders. The animals are only loaned under temporary loan agreements, which provide for their return to their homeland after a number of years.

The parents of the two cubs, Shin Shin and Ri Ri, had already returned to China in 2024, as had their elder sister Xiang Xiang. Their departure thus fits into an already laid-out plan, but takes on a particular dimension considering the current political context. Indeed, Ueno's case brings to the fore 'pandadiplomacy' once again, a strategy Beijing has used for decades.

The panda diplomacy

Pandas are never donated but lent as goodwill ambassadors, under agreements combining diplomacy, scientific cooperation and species protection. Housing a panda means maintaining solid relations with China, while not renewing a loan agreement may indicate a cooling off of relations.

It's therefore no coincidence that the departure of the latest pandas from Japan takes place during a period of diplomatic tensions between Tokyo and Beijing. Similar situations have occurred in the past in other Japanese cities, where the animals' return had a direct impact on local tourism.

Japan is not the only country involved in such exchanges. Today, Chinese giant pandas live in various zoos worldwide, especially in Europe and Asia. From Germany to Spain, Belgium to Austria, and as far away as Singapore and Russia, their presence symbolises active bilateral relations with Beijing. All these animals, unfortunately, instead of living freely in their natural habitats, are locked up in captivity in zoos and, as we have just seen, treated as if they were tourist attractions.

(© Zoo van Ueno via GreenMe.it/Managing Editor: Selma Keshkire - The Press Junction/Picture: Unsplash)