People watch a truck carrying male giant panda Xiao Xiao and his twin sister Lei Lei leave Ueno Zoo in Tokyo on January 27, 2026, before the animals are sent to China, marking the first time that Japan will be without pandas since the first ones arrived in the country in 1972. Photo: VCG

Japanese fans gathered around Tokyo's Ueno Zoo on Tuesday to bid farewell to the country's last two giant pandas. The twin pandas were transported by truck from the zoo to Narita Airport, where they are scheduled to board a flight back to China on Tuesday evening, potentially resulting in a "panda-less" situation in Japan for the first time in approximately 50 years, according to media reports.

"We welcome Japanese people to visit giant pandas in China as always," the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated Tuesday in response to a question by a Japanese reporter regarding two giant pandas from Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Japan, that depart for China today, which will leave Japan without any giant pandas. The reporter also asked the Chinese spokesperson how he evaluates the role that giant pandas have played in advancing the development of China-Japan relations.

In response, Guo stated that "we have addressed this matter on multiple occasions." In accordance with the relevant agreement between China and Japan, the giant pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, which have been residing in Japan, are departing for China on Tuesday, Guo said. For the specific questions you raised, we suggest you refer them to the competent Chinese authorities, the Chinese spokesperson added.

TV Asahi reported Tuesday that as the twin pandas, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, are departing for China, since early morning, many people have visited the zoo to bid them farewell. Although they could no longer view the two pandas, many entered the zoo as soon as it opened, expressing a wish to "share the same space with them one last time," according to the report.

Among the fans were those who had left their homes in Niigata Prefecture at 5:30 am local times specifically for this occasion, as well as others holding large stuffed toys while saying their goodbyes, TV Asahi reported.

A TBS News reporter noticed on the spot that a large number of fans have gathered along the roadside, and many are also standing on the bridge to see them off.

"It's sad, but we will definitely come to see you—please wait for us!" 

"I came today to say goodbye as this is their final day in Japan."

"I've been coming to see them since they were born. They feel like my own children, so it's very sad."

...Many fans expressed their reluctance to part with the pandas, TV Asahi and TBS News reported.

The two pandas will travel from Narita Airport to China in the evening of Tuesday, heading to a breeding facility in Ya'an, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, according to media reports.

Also in China, at the panda base in Sichuan where Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei are headed, some Japanese fans who have already arrived locally are waiting for the two pandas' arrival, ANN News reported Tuesday.

On Sunday, the twin giant pandas marked their final day of public viewing. Access was limited to visitors selected through an advance lottery, with the most competitive Sunday seeing odds as high as 1 in 24.6, according to NHK. Some Japanese netizens also took to the internet to express their reluctance to part with the pandas.

On the last public viewing day on Sunday, as long lines of people waited to see the twin pandas at Ueno Zoo, a female security guard was seen bowing her head and wiping away tears, according to a video from CCTV News.

For the first time since pandas first arrived in Japan in 1972, there will be no pandas left in Japan, Sankei Shimbun reported Tuesday. The report added that China-Japan relations have deteriorated due to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan, and no new panda loan is in sight.

When the news of the twin pandas to return to China was released in December last year, Asahi Shimbun reported that while Japan has requested the loan of new giant pandas from China, there was 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 remarks on Taiwan at Diet in November 2025, which met with intensified opposition from the Chinese side, Asahi Shimbun, citing sources, reported that "Under the current circumstances, a new loan is impossible."

Some Japanese netizens have also expressed their reluctance to bid farewell to the giant pandas soon to leave Japan and contributed the potential "panda-less" situation in Japan to Takaichi's Taiwan-related claims.

@miyuki_panda wrote on X on Tuesday that "Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, thank you so much for all the healing and smiles until now! It made me so happy to see the growth of Ueno's first twin pandas! May you arrive safely in China!! And may you live a healthy and happy panda life ."

@alster87671759 wrote on X on Tuesday that "We should express gratitude to China for its efforts in protecting rare animals...It is precisely because pandas' nationality belongs to China that their population has gradually increased, allowing us to encounter these rare and miraculous creatures—pandas. We are waiting for you [pandas]!"

@Ackerman_M_wrote on X on Sunday that "It's Takaichi's fault that the pandas are leaving [Japan]."

Another Japanese netizen @peperon0853 on X called Takaichi to first retract her Taiwan-related claims, alongside offering a formal apology.