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Japan Today
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
Fans bid teary farewell to four giant pandas at a zoo in Japan before their return to China
Giant panda Saihin, one among the four pandas on loan to Japan which will soon be heading back to China chews bamboo inside an enclosure at Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, on Friday. By AYAKA MCGILL and MARI YAMAGUCHI Thousands of fans bid a teary farewell Friday to a family of four giant pandas at a zoo in Japan's coastal town of Shirahama as the animals made their last public appearance before their return to China. Around 3,000 visitors flocked to the Adventure World theme park to get a last glimpse of the beloved animals. Many rushed straight to the panda exhibit zone, calling out the names of their favorites. Although the 24-year-old mother Rauhin and her three daughters — Yuihin, Saihin and Fuhin — were all born and raised at the park, they remain on loan from China and must now be returned. Once they return to China, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo will be the only pandas left in Japan. More than 1,000 people, many wearing panda-themed attire, queued outside the entrance of the theme park hours before it opened while some camped outside the night before. Some people wiped off tears while viewing throwback images of the pandas when they were cubs. Yoshihiko Fukuzumi recalls the arrival of the first two pandas at the park 30 years ago and has watch their family grow. Since retiring three years ago, he and his wife have visited them nearly everyweek. 'To us, they are like our grandchildren." Giant pandas are native to southwestern China and serve as an unofficial national mascot. Beijing lends them to other countries as a sign of goodwill but maintains ownership over them and any cubs they produce. Born in 2000, Rauhin had seven other cubs with Eimei, a male panda sent from China in 1994. Eimei returned home two years ago and has since died. Despite strained political ties between Japan and China, giant pandas are hugely popular in Japan. 'We feel comforted just by looking at pandas,' said zoo director Koji Imazu. Imazu said the departure of the four pandas marks the end of the zoo's 30-year joint project with China. He thanked Chinese specialists for sharing their expertise with the Japanese staff and said the zoo will be ready for a new arrival at any time. 'Of course we all miss them, but I hope you could send them off with a cheerful wave and wish them well in China,' Imazu said. In Beijing, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said giant pandas are 'friendly ambassadors" conveying the goodwill of the Chinese people. Guo said that China and Japan have collaborated on panda conservation and research since 2000, and that China is ready to further strengthen international cooperation, including with Japan. Rauhin and her daughters will be flown to China on Saturday where they will join other pandas at a facility in Sichuan province near their original habitat. There, the three young ones will find partners. 'I still can't believe they're all leaving,' said Junko Ikeda, a Fuhin fan from neighboring Nara prefecture who spent Thursday night in her camper van for the send-off. "I hope she finds a partner, becomes a mother and lives a happy life.' © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Associated Press
21 hours ago
- Associated Press
Fans bid teary farewell to four giant pandas at a zoo in Japan before their return to China
SHIRAHAMA, Japan (AP) — Thousands of fans bid a teary farewell Friday to a family of four giant pandas at a zoo in Japan's coastal town of Shirahama as the animals made their last public appearance before their return to China. Around 3,000 visitors flocked to the Adventure World theme park to get a last glimpse of the beloved animals. Many rushed straight to the panda exhibit zone, calling out the names of their favorites. Although the 24-year-old mother Rauhin and her three daughters — Yuihin, Saihin and Fuhin — were all born and raised at the park, they remain on loan from China and must now be returned. Once they return to China, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo will be the only pandas left in Japan. More than 1,000 people, many wearing panda-themed attire, queued outside the entrance of the theme park hours before it opened while some camped outside the night before. Junko Ikeda, who came from the neighboring prefecture of Nara, slept in her camper van Thursday night to secure a parking spot for the pandas' send-off. 'I still can't believe they are all leaving,' Ikeda said. Giant pandas are native to southwestern China and serve as an unofficial national mascot. Beijing lends them to other countries as a sign of goodwill but maintains ownership over them and any cubs they produce. Born in 2000, Rauhin had seven other cubs with Eimei, a male panda sent from China in 1994. Eimei returned home two years ago. Despite strained political ties between Japan and China, giant pandas are hugely popular in Japan. 'We feel comforted just by looking at pandas,' said zoo director Koji Imazu. Imazu said the departure of the four pandas marks the end of the zoo's 30-year joint project with China. He thanked Chinese specialists for sharing their expertise with the Japanese staff and said the zoo will be ready for a new arrival at any time. 'Of course we all miss them, but I hope you could wish them good health when they go to China,' Imazu said. In Beijing, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said giant pandas are 'friendly ambassadors' conveying the goodwill of the Chinese people. Guo said that China and Japan have collaborated on panda conservation and research since 2000, and that China is ready to further strengthen international cooperation, including with Japan. Rauhin and her daughters will be flown to China on Saturday where they will join other pandas at a facility in Sichuan province near their original habitat. There, the three young ones will find partners. ___ Associated Press journalist Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.
NHK
a day ago
- NHK
Panda lovers bid farewell to four pandas in western Japan
Panda lovers are flocking to a theme park in western Japan to say goodbye to four giant pandas that will be returned to China soon. About 1,400 people lined up at the gates of the park in the town of Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, ahead of opening time on Friday, the pandas' last day there. They rushed to the facilities for the pandas as soon as the gates opened at 9:00 a.m. The four female pandas -- Rauhin and her daughters Yuihin, Saihin and Fuhin -- have been part of a joint conservation project with China which is due to expire. They will depart for China on Saturday. Visitors were waiting in line for up to 90 minutes at the facility for Rauhin and Saihin, as of 10:00 a.m. People were seen taking pictures of the pandas, calling out their names and waving at them. One visitor said she wanted her children to see the pandas one last time. Another person said she hopes the pandas will stay healthy and will be looked after well in China. The four pandas will leave Shirahama on Saturday, and return to a panda breeding center in Sichuan Province, China. The only remaining giant pandas in Japan will be the two at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo.
The Mainichi
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
Crowds flock to see 4 pandas at west Japan zoo before China return
SHIRAHAMA, Wakayama -- Many people including families visited a zoo in this western Japan town to see four adorable giant pandas on May 25, the last day of their outdoor display ahead of their return to China. At Adventure World amusement park, the four pandas have entered a one-month quarantine period before their return, and from May 26 they are only viewable through glass. Their return to China is scheduled for June 28. On May 25, 24-year-old Rauhin and 6-year-old Saihin were seen roaming around, with fans eagerly following them to capture photos and videos. Satomi Motooka, a 63-year-old public servant from Kobe, said, "My daughter's influence has led me to watch panda growth videos daily. Even with the display through glass, I want to come as often as possible." (Japanese original by Koji Osawa, Tanabe Local Bureau)
