00:00The panda house at Tokyo's Uino Zoo is busier than usual.
00:06These zoo-goers have just won a lottery to say goodbye to Japan's last panda twins,
00:10Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei.
00:12They were born here in Japan in 2021, but are technically on loan from China,
00:17where they're now set to be sent on January 27th.
00:20Amid rising tension between Tokyo and Beijing, there are no plans to replace them.
00:25Some say although it's sad to see them go,
00:27they've come to thank the animals for making everyone smile.
00:32I have so many memories tied to this,
00:35but now realizing that today is the last day,
00:38that this is really the end of a chapter,
00:40fills me with a lot of sadness,
00:42but I also truly hope the pandas will be happy.
00:47I didn't win the lottery for the panda viewing,
00:50but I came here today because I wanted to breathe the same air as the pandas.
00:54Giant pandas are more than just endearing animals.
00:56Since 1972, China has loaned over 30 giant pandas to Japan as a diplomatic gesture.
01:04But after Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae suggested that Japan could intervene militarily
01:09in the Chinese invasion of Taiwan, relations between the two countries have soured.
01:14Now panda lovers in Japan may have to pay the price.
01:17Pandas are also a symbol of the friendship between Japan and China,
01:22so it's really sad that we won't be able to see them in Japan anymore.
01:26I feel like seeing pandas can help create a connection with China too,
01:29so I'd really like to see them come back again.
01:32If China does not loan more pandas,
01:35it will be the first time they're absent from Japan's zoos in over half a century.
01:38And fans here will have to rely on these plushies and lucky charms,
01:43waiting in hope for their return.
01:45Justin Wu and Irene Lin for Taiwan Plus.
Comments