Visitors watch giant panda Lei Lei at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo on December 16, 2025, a day after Japan announced the pandas will be returned to China in January 2026. Photo: VCG

A day after news broke that the twin pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei at Ueno Zoo would return to China at the end of January, potentially resulting in a "panda-less" situation in Japan for the first time in about 50 years, thousands of Japanese fans flocked to the zoo on Tuesday to catch a final glimpse, with many bidding the twins a tearful farewell, according to media reports. 

Asahi shimbun reported Wednesday that panda fans are worried if or when they get to see new pandas in Japan as Japan's relations with China sunk following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s highly inappropriate Taiwan-related claims.

TV Asahi reported that by Tuesday noon, the waiting time for entry had reached 240 minutes, and registration for visitors on the day was closed at 1 pm local time. Female panda Leilei is fully engrossed in munching on bamboo, completely oblivious to the hustle and bustle outside the enclosure, according to the report.

TBS News reported Tuesday that many fans arrived early on Tuesday morning, and around 1,600 people had lined up before the zoo’s opening.

Visitors queue to watch giant pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo on December 16, 2025. Photo: VCG

The Yomiuri Shimbun reported that starting from the zoo's reopening on Tuesday, the viewing area for the two pandas will be sectioned off, with each visitor's viewing time limited to approximately one minute. From the December 23 onward, visitor access will be subject to an advance reservation system. The final day for viewing the pandas will be January 25 next year.

Takahiro Takauji, a photographer who shoots pandas daily, was quoted by the TV Asahi on Tuesday that "I take continuous shots during that short period, and I end up with around 4,000 photos."

According to the TBS News, visitors shared their thoughts:“It’s really heartbreaking. I’ve been coming to Ueno Zoo ever since [panda] Xiang Xiang’s time.”“We just want to say thank you for bringing us so much joy.”“We hope they stay healthy. I can’t help but wonder if this [their return] has also been affected by certain political factors.”

According to Yomiuri Shimbun, the final day for viewing the pandas will be January 25 next year.

The twin giant pandas at Ueno Zoo currently are the only giant pandas in Japan. Asahi Shimbun reported Monday that while Japan has requested the loan of new giant pandas from China, there is no clear prospect of realization, meaning Japan may face a "panda-less" situation domestically for the first time in approximately 50 years.

After Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made erroneous Taiwan-related remarks at Diet on November 7, Asahi Shimbun, citing sources, reported that "Under the current circumstances, a new loan is impossible."

In response to whether China has plans to carry out international cooperation with Japan on giant panda conservation since the twin pandas at the zoo are scheduled to return to China in late January, and Japan will be left without any giant pandas; Japanese people love giant pandas very much and hope to continue renting them from China in the future, Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, stated Monday at a regular press conference that "Regarding the specific question you raised, it is recommended that you refer the matter to the competent Chinese authorities for inquiry."

Commenting on the issue, a netizen @fandango7jp said on X on Monday this shows that Takaichi really needs to apologize.

Another Japanese netizen @peperon0853 commented on X that "It is utterly shameless to militarily provoke China while still expecting to lease pandas. How embarrassing." The netizen called Takaichi to first retract her Taiwan-related claims and cease military activities on the recent radar irradiation incident, alongside offering a formal apology.