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Fans rush to see panda cub as Tokyo's Ueno zoo reopens after 4-month closure

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The irony of finally being free to leave your house after months of self restraint, only to go and watch a poor animal that will be forcibly detained until the day it dies. Grim

40 ( +47 / -7 )

reopened Tuesday following nearly four months of shutdown due to the coronavirus.

How much money did they lose?

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

Send that panda, back to China, where he is loved

8 ( +15 / -7 )

It's odd that the photo above showing "no photo" sign has been taken and attached to this report....

China has ownership of Xiang Xiang as well as her parents, who were sent to Japan in 2011 under a 10-year lease agreement.

Heard that at least 100 million yen have been paid to China for the lease. Waste of public money, no?

13 ( +17 / -4 )

How does shortening the opening hours to 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. lessen the risk of infection?

23 ( +25 / -2 )

How does shortening the opening hours to 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. lessen the risk of infection?

The theory is the less time people congregate at the zoo as opposed to congregating elsewhere will lessen the risk of infection. Dumb, huh?

1 ( +6 / -5 )

I don’t see much distancing in that line up. I’m quite sure Japanese people don’t realize just how fickle their their health and safety is. It would only take one person in that line to transmit the virus to another hundred.

4 ( +10 / -6 )

Been a while since pandas did not make the headline news! Good thing corona is in decline, now we got some real information.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

It's not worth if it lets China have the diplomatic advantage.

Fans?

The animal isn't even trying to entertain any of you all.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

It is clearly written : No photo... We can also see at least two cameras on the right too. Respect the rules please.

About the panda, never understood why it is loved so much. Flurry power ?

6 ( +7 / -1 )

The irony of finally being free to leave your house after months of self restraint, only to go and watch a poor animal that will be forcibly detained until the day it dies.

@Chabbawanga

Given their endangered status and that their natural habitat are gradually destroyed by humans, I believe keeping the pandas in the zoos is a sensible measurement to protect these animals from extinction. Also, by seeing the endangered species with their own eyes, conscious people are more aware of the real world and thus, more construction actions should follow.

-9 ( +2 / -11 )

How does shortening the opening hours to 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. lessen the risk of infection?

The virus only operates outside those hours...

Ad please shut down all zoos! Abhorrent places.

9 ( +12 / -3 )

Zoos have no place existing in putative first world, "advanced" countries.

"But" you say, "The animals habitats are being destroyed so zoos are the only safe places for them."

Then I say, "Stop destroying their natural habitats in the first place. Curb your insane lust for economic growth and learn to live much more modestly."

10 ( +11 / -1 )

Am I the only who feels that pandas are completely overrated? Never understood why so many Japanese lose their minds over these things.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Once again, I can't understand how Japan Today determines what is their "Top Story."

12 ( +12 / -0 )

Why no photo? Seems weird.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

The flashlights may disturb the animal? Plus the photo-taking will hold up the lines, encourage crowding etc.

Anyway, such panda-monium....

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Every Zoo should be closed down , they are terrible places , caging animals is a selfish thing to do.

Same with those horrible aquatic parks where they have the dolphins doing tricks n flips n things, disgusting.

If the green movement really was concerned about the planet, its animals and their enviroment they would be at the gates protesting and demanding these places be closed, but we all know the real agenda of the green movement do we.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

The Pandas should stay in japan, this is good for the animals and the people there! Japan is a very kawai country for Kawai animals!

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

China has ownership of Xiang Xiang as well as her parents, who were sent to Japan in 2011 under a 10-year lease agreement.

Kanemochi Nippon.

The panda bubble doesn't seem like it will ever burst.

Good business acumen on the part of china. What I will like to know is whether china signs the same leasing agreement with every country.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I'm boycotting all Chinese products including pandas!

7 ( +8 / -1 )

@Michael Hopper

Why?

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Just imagine in your future life they lock you up and animals will come and visit you... How does it feel? Maybe time to wake up for humans.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Went to ueno zoo once, never going back.

All the animals just pacing back and forth, stressed out of their minds... so sad to watch. It's animal cruelty.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Nice that people can enjoy the zoo. Animals in captivity live longer then in the wild. The pictures that I have seen seem like the animals have space. I hope so.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

The irony of finally being free to leave your house after months of self restraint, only to go and watch a poor animal that will be forcibly detained until the day it dies. Grim

I don't know, being fed regularly, cleaned up after and medical. Might have it better than most of us.

Took my kids to see a panda a few years ago, the first one was cute but in the second enclosure one was leaning back on a tree eating bamboo spread eagle scratching itself, lol.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Pandamic

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Ueno Zoo is a travesty. The enclosures are way too small and some are just concrete enclosures with no vegetation. I saw a crocodile and hippo there in a space where they could barely move. It's beyond cruel and the strange thing is...Japanese never complain about it.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

I've been in Ueno so many times and never have I had the urge to go to that zoo.

All the animals just pacing back and forth, stressed out of their minds... so sad to watch. It's animal cruelty.

It's the same in other zoos in Japan I've been too. The monkeys have it the worst. They're mentally damaged. I even felt embarrassed to look at them. When they don't even react to you, you know something's wrong. And that's just the ones that weren't pacing back and forth. Absolute shameful. Never again. Also, the monkey enclosure outside Odawara Castle beggars belief.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Japan is a very stressed country! People wanna to relief themselves from such a depressing working or living enviroment! The Pandas were intelligent animals at least they can lives freely in their world! It is very easy understandable that Japanese people queue for a long line and paying much patience to take a look at this animal even they cannot touch them! Those Pandas were not that miserables, the Japanese are!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

AgentX: "The virus only operates outside those hours..."

And of course, they've already negotiated to ensure it won't break the rules as of June 1st.

"Xiang Xiang looked toward me with a curious look and I felt as though she had greeted me when she came near me,"

Sorry, Ms. Kawazoe, but it probably looked at you with either hunger, fear, disdain, or just plain disinterest, and there is zero chance the panda was greeting you.

It's sad that the first thing some people will do when able is rush to escape their own lives and try to see something that is not there, right in front of them.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Chabbawanga

Great point! Hadn't thought of it that way. I was more concerned about the lack of social distancing in those lines. Totally irresponsible!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The irony of this photo: There is a sign that says "no photo" in multiple languages, and yet.....

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Why is there a photo when there's a sign saying "No Photos"?

Because people can make independent decisions and aren't somehow magically constrained by rules imposed on them by other people?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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