The last panda pair bid farewell to Japan for the first time before returning to China

Pandain Japan today, at the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, to bid farewell to the twin pandas "Xiao Xiao" and"Lee Lee"before returning to Chinathis week.

Their departure will leave Japan without a panda for the first time in half a century, with the chances of finding a replacement dwindling.

China sent its first panda to Japan in 1972, a gift to mark the normalization of relations, and the black-and-white bears quickly became popular with the Japanese.

• For more: Follow Khaleejion 24 Arabic, Khaleejion 24 English, Khaleejion 24 Live, and for social media follow us on Facebook and Twitter