Japan's last 2 pandas to return to China in January

The male-female twins were born at the zoo in the Japanese capital's Taito Ward in 2021 and have remained there since then. An agreement between the Tokyo government and the China Wildlife Conservation Association stipulates that the twins be handed over to China, which retains ownership of all giant pandas in the world, by February 2026.

The final viewing date for the two pandas at the zoo has been set for January 25, with their return expected between January 26 and 31.

Advance reservation will be required for watching them on and after December 23.

The metropolitan government has asked for a new pair from China, but it is unclear whether the request will be met.

The departure of Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei will put an end to more than 50 years of panda conservation efforts in Japan, which started in 1972 with the arrival of Kang Kang and Lan Lan, a male-female pair, from China at Ueno Zoo to mark diplomatic normalization between the two countries in the same year.

While the zoo has experienced a period without pandas, panda projects in Japan continued at other zoos, including Adventure World in the town of Shirahama in the western prefecture of Wakayama.

The Wakayama zoo returned its four remaining pandas to China in June, making Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei the only pandas in Japan.