Visitors walk past panda-themed items at a souvenir store in Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)
January 25, 2026 - 12:23 AM
SAITAMA, Japan (AP) — Japanese panda fans gathered Sunday for the final public viewing at Tokyo’s Ueno zoo before twins Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei return to China.
Their departure on Tuesday will leave Japan with no pandas for the first time in half a century, and the chances of getting a replacement are poor, with Tokyo’s relations with Beijing at their lowest point in years.
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