Japanese media lament: all four giant pandas have returned to China, and the town of Shirahama in Wakayama Prefecture has been panda-free for a full year.

Last June, the entertainment facility "Adventure World" in Shirahama Town returned all four giant pandas to China. Recently, Japanese media has "lamented" that Japan has not had any pandas for an entire year.

Adventure World in Shirahama Town was once the largest overseas breeding base for giant pandas outside China. Over the past three decades, it successfully nurtured 17 giant pandas, making the species a symbol of the town. With a permanent population of just over 20,000, giant pandas have generated more than 125.6 billion yen in economic benefits for the town over the past 31 years—about one-third of annual tourists visit specifically to see the pandas, driving revenue growth across hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, souvenirs, and themed trains. Just half a year after the pandas left, local guesthouse occupancy rates plummeted from 85% to below 40%, with a significant drop in visitor numbers.

The town’s officials stated that although there are currently no plans for any new pandas to return to Japan, they remain prepared for such a possibility. Currently, the park is organizing tours of the backyard area where pandas were previously housed, and has hosted screenings of the latest footage documenting the pandas’ lives after their return to China.

The Japanese public's obsession with giant pandas is widely recognized. Whether it's Shinko from Ueno Zoo or the Shirahama Hama family, every birthday, birth of a cub, or change of exhibit space sees headlines across national television networks. Panda naming campaigns routinely draw tens of thousands of votes from the public; thousands line up for over two hours before opening day to catch a glimpse of the pandas—a common occurrence. There are even international panda fan clubs that regularly organize paid trips to Sichuan to visit pandas that have returned to China, forming a stable subculture.

In short, Shirahama’s “one-year panda-free anniversary” marks not only a small town bidding farewell to a celebrity animal that had been its companion for 30 years, but also the end of a chapter in long-standing Sino-Japanese people-to-people cooperation. The Japanese public’s half-century-long passion for pandas goes beyond mere aesthetic preference—it reflects a complex emotional bond shaped by diplomacy, economics, and social sentiment.

China’s decision not to send new pandas stems from scientific considerations regarding panda conservation and breeding, as well as the expiration of existing lease agreements. It is also influenced by the evolving dynamics of Sino-Japanese bilateral relations and changes in regional exchange ties—an integrated decision balancing animal welfare, diplomatic timing, and population management strategies.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1869043571958795/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.