On Jan. 27, 2026, twin giant pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei bid farewell to Tokyo's Ueno Zoo and returned to China.
As the truck carrying the pandas left the zoo, thousands of Japanese citizens lined the streets to send them off, creating a human wall despite the bitter cold. Many fans waved goodbye in the chilly wind, while others wept, overcome with emotion.
Giant pandas have long been immensely popular in Japan, fueling a thriving "panda economy." According to Japanese scholars, the economic impact of Xiang Xiang, another panda born at Ueno Zoo, exceeded 60 billion yen during her six years in Japan. Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei generated annual economic benefits of over 30 billion yen.
Many Japanese panda enthusiasts are now traveling to China to see the animals. Yukinori Yokomi, secretary-general of the Japan-China Friendship Association, expressed concern over the gradual decline in Sino-Japanese exchange programs.
He emphasized that pandas are ambassadors of peace between China and Japan.
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