This week is an emotional one for panda lovers in Japan. Shao Shao and Lei Lei, the last two panda twins at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo, are returning to China on January 27. These pandas are owned by China. They were shown publicly for the last time in the zoo on Sunday. Thousands of people came to see the panda for the last time. The zoo had given only one minute to each visitor. Despite this, people arrived with panda-themed toys, kept calling their names and were seen making photos and videos with mobile phones. Many people came to the zoo despite not getting tickets, so that they could witness this farewell. After their departure, Japan will be left without pandas for the first time in the last 50 years. The deteriorating relations between Japan and China are considered to be the major reason behind his departure. Why tension has increased in China-Japan relations: Tension has increased in the relations between Tokyo and Beijing in recent months. China is angry with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s statement in which he said that any action by China on Taiwan could lead to Japan’s interference. Despite a request from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to send new pandas, China has made it clear that at present there are no plans to send pandas to Ueno Zoo. China’s official newspaper Beijing Daily quoted an expert as saying that if tension continues, pandas will not be seen in Japan in the future. Panda diplomacy has clashed with politics in Japan before. Plans to bring pandas to Sendai city following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami were canceled following a 2012 territorial dispute. Shao Shao and Lei Lei were born at Ueno Zoo in 2021. China lends pandas to other countries but retains ownership of them, even those born abroad. China sent pandas to Japan for the first time in 1972. China sent pandas to Japan for the first time in 1972. This gift was a symbol of normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Black-and-white pandas soon became extremely popular in Japan, and pandas introduced in the following decades became regarded as national stars. Pandas have long been a part of China’s diplomacy. In the 1970s, China also gifted pandas to countries like America, France, Britain and Germany. After the 1980s, China started a lease system instead of gift, under which foreign zoos pay fees for conservation and research. If there were no pandas, Japan would have suffered a loss of hundreds of crores. Pandas are not only an emotional but also an economic asset in Japan. Panda related business runs on a large scale in the Ueno area. Panda themed items are sold in shops, stations and department stores. According to Katsuhiro Miyamoto, Professor Emeritus of Kansai University, if there are no pandas in Ueno Zoo, Japan could suffer an economic loss of at least ₹ 8500 crore annually. He said that its impact will not be limited to the zoo only, but will also reach hotels, restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops. If this situation continues for several years, the total loss can reach Rs 20 thousand to 50 thousand crores. An example of this was seen in 2008. Ueno Zoo remained panda-less for a year after the death of panda Ling Ling that year. In the same financial year, the number of visitors to the zoo fell below 30 lakh for the first time in 60 years.
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