Twin Pandas Depart Ueno Zoo; Japan without Pandas for 1st Time since 1972

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:55 JST, January 27, 2026

Twin pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei departed Ueno Zoological Gardens on Tuesday to begin their journey back to China.

Japan is now without pandas for the first time since October 1972, when Kang Kang and Lan Lan arrived following the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China.

After being placed in transport cages, the four-year-old pandas, both of which were born and raised at the zoo, were loaded onto a truck bound for Narita Airport at around 1:25 p.m.

Although visitors could no longer see the twins, with public viewing having ended on Sunday, a large crowd gathered to see off them.

The two pandas are set to depart Narita Airport on Tuesday night and arrive at a conservation and research center in Sichuan Province, China, on Wednesday.