Crowds gather in Tokyo for final panda viewing
Thousands of visitors flocked to Tokyo’s Ueno Zoological Gardens on Sunday to bid farewell to Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, the last two giant pandas in Japan, Kyodo reported.
The twin siblings, long cherished as symbols of Sino-Japanese friendship, are set to depart for China on Tuesday, marking the first time since 1972 that Japan will be without pandas.
Interest in their final public appearance was overwhelming, with 4,400 reservation slots available and nearly 25 times that number of people applying online, according to the Tokyo metropolitan government.
Born in 2021 to Shin Shin and Ri Ri - pandas on loan from China for breeding research - Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei quickly captured the hearts of the Japanese public. They have also brought economic benefits as tourist attractions and with panda-themed toys and goods.
Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei became the last remaining pandas in Japan after four others at the Adventure World amusement park in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, departed for China in June last year