Japan to become panda-less after 54 years with last two set to return to China

Japan will soon become a panda-less nation for the first time in 54 years, as the country’s last two giant pandas are set to be sent back to China on Jan. 27.

Giant panda Lei Lei eats bamboo at Ueno Zoological Gardens in Tokyo, Japan, Nov. 28, 2025. [EPA/YONHAP]

Japan will soon become a panda-less nation for the first time in 54 years, as the country’s last two giant pandas are set to be sent back to China on Jan. 27.

The twin giant pandas will depart for China via Narita International Airport next week, according to the Asahi Shimbun and other media outlets on Tuesday.

The pandas, a male named Xiao Xiao and a female named Lei Lei, were born at Ueno Zoo in June 2021 and have lived there since. Their father, Ri Ri, and mother, Shin Shin, were returned to China in September 2024.

Japan has kept and bred pandas since 1972, after it normalized diplomatic ties with China, but in a week's time, will become a country without pandas for the first time in over half a century.

Kyodo News reported that prospects for a new panda loan remain unclear as Japan-China relations have chilled following remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi late last year on potential involvement in a Taiwan contingency.

China is known to utilize so-called panda diplomacy, gifting or loaning pandas — which are found only in China — to countries with which it seeks friendly ties. Pandas born overseas typically return to China when they reach around 4 years old.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY KIM EUN-BIN [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]