Fans of Japanese-born giant panda Xiang Xiang have bid farewell to the beloved idol of Tokyo's Ueno Zoo, having won their tickets to see the famous panda for one final time in a competitive lottery.
Though she grew up at the Japanese zoo after being born there in June 2017, Xiang Xiang, whose parents Ri Ri and Shin Shin are on loan from China, must return to that country.
China sends pandas abroad as a sign of goodwill but maintains ownership over the animals and any cubs they produce.
The final viewing of Xiang Xiang on Sunday was limited to 2,600 lucky fans who won their tickets in an extremely competitive lottery.
But many others who did not win came anyway to say their goodbyes from outside of the panda house.
"Xiang Xiang is not only cute but charming and funny," said a visitor who only gave her first name, Yukie.
"She's so attractive that if you see her once, you want to see her more. I don't think there is any panda like her in the universe.
"I've made friends here by sharing it, and that is also her attraction."
Divided into groups of about 10, the visitors were given only a few minutes to quietly say goodbye to Xiang Xiang as she nonchalantly nibbled on bamboo sticks.
Viewers held up their mobile phones and cameras to capture her every move.
"I wish Japanese-born pandas could stay in Japan," said Takamichi Masui, an auto parts maker who travelled from Mie, in central Japan.
"So many people who came today and fans are sad to see her go. When I saw [Xiang Xiang], I got teary. I wish Xiang Xiang could stay, though I understand it's difficult."
He said he worried whether Xiang Xiang would easily adapt to her new life in China.
Natsuki Mizuguchi, a graphic designer, wore a parka, socks and shoes decorated with a photo of Xiang Xiang she had taken.
She said she first saw Xiang Xiang when she was recovering from health issues but had since gotten better.
"I wanted to express my appreciation to Xiang Xiang," she said.
"I'm certain she will be an idol in China too and I hope she serves the friendship between our two countries."
Her friend, Akane Hiramoto, a nurse, said she could not win a ticket to visit on Sunday and her visit on Saturday became her last.
"I would love to go see her in China," Ms Hiramoto said.
"I hope Japan and China can deepen friendship through pandas like Xiang Xiang and also environmental issues, for instance."
Despite strained political ties between Japan and China, pandas have connected people in both countries, Japanese fans say.
Xiang Xiang, accompanied by two Ueno Zoo staff, will be flown to China on Tuesday.
She will join other pandas at a facility in Sichuan province, close to the original panda habitat.
"I became emotional when I saw may people shedding tears saying goodbye to her," Ueno Zoo spokesperson Naoya Ohashi said.
Three other pandas at another park, the Adventure World, in central Japan — elderly male Eimei, sent from China in 1994, and his Japanese-born twin daughters Ouhin and Touhin — will head to China on Wednesday mainly to find suitable partners for the reproductive-age twin pandas.
Four female pandas will remain after the handover and the park is seeking a male panda to be sent from China.
Pandas are native to south-western China and are an unofficial national mascot.
They remain among the world's most threatened species, reproducing rarely in the wild and relying on a diet of bamboo.
An estimated 1,800 pandas live in the wild, while another 500 are in zoos or reserves, mostly in Sichuan.
AP/ABC
