Tokyo: Panda lovers gathered at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo yesterday to bid farewell to twin pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, who are set to return to China later this week. Their departure will leave Japan panda-free for the first time in 50 years, with prospects of finding a replacement growing increasingly slim.

According to Saudi Press Agency, China first sent pandas to Japan in 1972 as a goodwill gesture to commemorate the normalization of diplomatic relations. The pandas captured the hearts of the Japanese public and have since become enduring cultural icons.