General News

Tickets commemorating 50 year of pandas in Japan on sale

Courtesy of Tokyo Metro Co.
A Tokyo Metro 24-hour ticket featuring a photo of Kang Kang and Lan Lan

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:43 JST, November 16, 2022

Tokyo Metro Co. is selling panda-themed subway tickets to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first giant pandas arriving in Japan and going to display at Ueno Zoo in Taito Ward, Tokyo.

The 24-hour tickets are on sale at select tourist information centers and stations in Tokyo through March next year.

Giant pandas Kang Kang and Lan Lan were welcomed to Japan in 1972 as a gift from China to celebrate the normalization of diplomatic relations. They were housed at Ueno Zoo in Taito Ward, Tokyo.

A set of three tickets printed with photos of the pandas, such as Kang Kang holding bamboo and two pandas playing, along with a decorative mount to hold them costs ¥1,800.

According to Tokyo Metro, the tickets are valid through September next year and can be used on all Tokyo Metro lines for 24 hours after passing through a ticket gate.

The tickets can be purchased at five tourist information centers in Tokyo, including the Ueno Information Center, and at six stations, including Ueno Station. They are also available at Tokyo Metro’s online shop through March 12 next year.