Tokyo: Japanese people flocked to see the last two giant pandas before they are sent back to China this week, forcing a lottery system to be used to obtain tickets. Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, the last remaining pair of giant pandas in Japan, will only be on display at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo until this Sunday. Many Japanese people want to see the pandas one last time, forcing the zoo to use a lottery system for tickets as it cannot accommodate all visitors. The rush to book tickets even caused the system to crash. Many people have traveled long distances hoping to see the adorable twin pandas one last time. It is estimated that around 4,400 lucky people will win tickets to see the pandas this Sunday.

According to Thai News Agency, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei will be sent back to China on Tuesday, January 27, and will arrive at the panda conservation center in Sichuan province the following day. The return of the two pandas to China will mark the first time in half a century that Japan has had no pandas on display, since the first pair were sent to Japan in 1972 to celebrate the restoration of diplomatic relations. The repatriation of Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei comes slightly earlier than originally scheduled for February 20, likely a result of the strained relations between China and Japan following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's statement that Japan would assist Taiwan if it were attacked by China.