PHOTO Queues and lottery in Tokyo after the announcement that the country will run out of its last two panda bears

A day after news broke that Japan would soon lose its last two giant pandas, who will be returned to China, thousands of fans stormed Tokyo's Ueno Zoo on Tuesday to see them one last time, many of them saying goodbye to the twins with tears in their eyes, Reuters reports.

The announcement that four-year-old Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei will leave for China at the end of January – ahead of the February 20 deadline – made national news in Japan on Monday, causing disappointment in a country that has always had a special relationship with pandas.

Their move to China had been planned for a long time, but the loss for Tokyo carries a strong symbolic charge, in a context where Sino-Japanese relations have recently deteriorated due to unprecedented diplomatic tensions in recent years.

Officials in Beijing were angered last month after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from his country, and tensions remain high.

Queues from the early hours of the morning to see the pandas

On Tuesday, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei were back in the headlines, with television cameras capturing crowds of visitors queuing up from the early hours of the morning.

“I want these pandas to stay in Japan forever,” said Hiroyo Kashio, a 60-year-old hospitality worker. “I know they belong to China, but since they were born in Japan, I really want them to stay at Ueno Zoo.”

The twins were born at the zoo in June 2021 and have remained the biggest attraction since their parents left for China last year. After the departure of Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, Japan will be without a panda for the first time since 1972, the year it normalized diplomatic relations with China.

“The birth of these twins really gave us so much, both experience-wise and emotionally,” said Hitoshi Suzuki, head of animal care at Ueno Zoo. “I am deeply grateful to them for that,” he emphasized.

China punishes Japan with 'panda diplomacy'

China, in what has been called “panda diplomacy,” has a long history of lending pandas to reward its allies, and has sometimes demanded their return to express its displeasure. Originally from China, giant pandas usually return home after the loan agreement is over – and foreign-born cubs are no exception.

Anticipating a massive influx of visitors until Jan. 25, the last day Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei can be seen, Ueno Zoo on Tuesday began limiting viewing of the panda pavilion to about a minute and will introduce online reservations starting next week.

During the last 12 days, a lottery will be held to select the lucky visitors.

“Maybe the statements of our prime minister had some influence on this,” said Kashio, one of the visitors. “But pandas should not be politicized. They are symbols of friendship between Japan and China, so I really hope pandas can stay here,” she added.