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5h ago

Ueno’s Twin Pandas to Return in Late January, Leaving Japan Without Any

Lease requirements trigger the return, with no replacement agreement in place.

Four-year-old giant panda Xiao Xiao eats bamboo at Ueno Zoo, a day after news broke that Japan will return two giant pandas to China at the end of January 2026, in Tokyo, Japan, December 16, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
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Overview

  • Tokyo officials said Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei will be sent back to China in late January 2026.
  • Their final day on public display at Ueno Zoo will be January 25.
  • Their departure will leave Japan without a giant panda for the first time since 1972.
  • The return follows a bilateral lease that requires repatriation by February, and Tokyo’s push for an extension did not produce a deal.
  • A Tokyo official said there is no agreement for new loans, and China’s Foreign Ministry referred inquiries to the competent authorities as ties remain strained over Taiwan-related remarks.