Japanese panda fans gathered at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo for a final viewing of twin pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei ahead of their return to China this week.

Their departure will leave Japan without pandas for the first time in 50 years, as strained relations between Tokyo and Beijing make replacements unlikely.

The twins, born at the zoo in 2021, have drawn huge crowds, with visitors limited to one minute each to say goodbye.

Many fans expressed sadness and hope that pandas would not become casualties of diplomatic tensions, NBC News has reported.

China, which retains ownership of all pandas it loans abroad, said Japanese visitors are welcome to see the animals in China.