The last two giant pandas living in Japan are about to return to China, and Japan is on the verge of having no pandas left. Currently, the only pandas remaining in the country are “Xiao Xiao” and “Lei Lei,” a pair of twins at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo. Born in 2021, these young pandas have carried the expectations of the Japanese public since birth and have become the zoo’s “stars.” However, as the loan agreement nears its end, the countdown to their return has begun.

最后2只旅日大熊猫即将回国，日本马上要没有大熊猫了！目前，日本国内现存的大熊猫仅剩东京上野动物园的“晓晓”和“蕾蕾”这对双胞胎。这对生于2021年的幼年熊猫，自出生起便承载着日本民众的期待，成为上野动物园的“明星”。然而，随着租借协议临近尾声，它们的归期已进入倒计时。

In June this year, a TV Asahi reporter revealed at a Chinese Foreign Ministry press briefing that Ueno Zoo had confirmed “Xiao Xiao” and “Lei Lei” would return to China in February 2026. The news sparked widespread concern in Japan, as their departure would leave the country in a temporary “panda-less” period. Shop owners in the commercial streets around Ueno Zoo sighed, “Pandas are our biggest draw. Without them, visitor numbers may drop.”

今年6月，在外交部新闻发布会上，朝日电视台记者透露，上野动物园已确认“晓晓”和“蕾蕾”将于2026年2月返回中国。这一消息引发日本社会广泛关注，因为一旦它们离开，日本将暂时面临“无熊可看”的空白期。上野动物园周边商业街的店主无奈表示：“熊猫是我们的招牌，没有它们，游客可能会减少。”



In fact, Japan’s panda family has already begun returning home one after another. In June 2025, “Rauhin” and her three cubs—“Yuihin,” “Saihin,” and “Kaedehin”—from Adventure World in Wakayama Prefecture were sent back to China. The Rauhin family was one of the largest overseas panda lineages in Japan, and their departure left many Japanese citizens feeling a deep sense of loss. The passing of “Yong Ming,” an iconic panda who created the largest panda family outside China—the famous “Hama Family”—added even more sorrow. He died of multiple organ failure in January 2025.

事实上，日本的大熊猫家族已陆续踏上归途。2025年6月，和歌山县冒险世界游乐园的“良浜”及其三个幼崽“结浜”“彩浜”“枫浜”已先行回国。良浜家族是日本海外最大的大熊猫支系之一，它们的离开让日本民众倍感失落。而“永明”的离世更添悲情——这位传奇熊猫曾创造海外最大大熊猫家族“浜家族”，却在2025年1月因多器官衰竭去世。

The bond between giant pandas and Japan dates back to 1972, when China gifted “Kang Kang” and “Lan Lan” to Japan, marking the beginning of “panda diplomacy.” Since then, pandas have become a beloved part of Japanese popular culture, symbolizing cuteness and healing. Visitors often wait for hours in line outside Ueno Zoo’s panda enclosure; TV stations broadcast pandas’ daily lives year-round; and panda-themed merchandise sells well worldwide. This enthusiasm reflects not only the Japanese public’s fondness for rare animals but also their hopes for continued China-Japan friendship.

大熊猫与日本的缘分始于1972年。当时，中国将“康康”和“兰兰”赠予日本，开启了“熊猫外交”的篇章。此后，熊猫以“卡哇伊”文化符号的身份深入日本社会，成为治愈压力的良药。上野动物园的熊猫馆前，总能看到排队数小时的游客；电视台常年直播熊猫日常；周边商品更是畅销全球。这种狂热背后，是日本民众对珍稀物种的喜爱，也是对中日友好的期待。



Chen Yang, a visiting professor at the Japan Research Center of Liaoning University, believes that if tensions between China and Japan continue, China may choose not to lease new pandas to Japan. This assessment is not unfounded. In recent years, Japan’s inappropriate remarks on Taiwan-related issues have pushed bilateral relations into a low point. Against this backdrop, the symbolic role of pandas as “ambassadors of friendship” has become even more significant.

辽宁大学日本研究中心客座教授陈洋分析，若中日紧张局势持续，中方可能不再向日本租赁新的大熊猫。这一判断并非空穴来风。近年来，日本政府在涉台问题上的错误言论，已导致两国关系陷入低谷。在此背景下，大熊猫作为“友好使者”的象征意义更加凸显。

Now, with the return of “Xiao Xiao” and “Lei Lei” approaching, will Japan truly bid farewell to giant pandas? The answer depends on the future trajectory of China-Japan relations. If the two sides manage to resolve their differences through dialogue, new “ambassadors of friendship” may once again travel to Japan. But if tensions persist, panda enclosures in Japanese zoos may remain empty for years. For panda-loving Japanese citizens, this is undoubtedly a worrying prospect.

如今，随着“晓晓”和“蕾蕾”的归期临近，日本是否会彻底告别大熊猫？答案取决于中日关系的走向。若双方能通过对话化解分歧，未来或许仍有新的“友好使者”赴日；但若紧张局势持续，日本动物园的熊猫展区或将长期空置。对于热爱熊猫的日本民众而言，这无疑是一个令人忧心的未来。

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