The twin giant pandas, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, who currently reside at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo, will leave Japan on January 27 and fly back to China, according to a zoo announcement. They will make their final public appearance on January 25.

Born at Ueno Zoo in 2021, the twins are the offspring of a pair of giant pandas that were returned to China in September 2024. Their elder sister, Xiang Xiang, made her return earlier, in February 2023.

Under a previous agreement between China and Japan, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei were originally scheduled to return by February 2026. Japanese authorities said consultations with the Chinese side led to a decision to advance the return date by about one month.

Their departure ends another chapter of Ueno Zoo's panda exchange program, which has drawn strong public interest in Japan.