Japan’s Beloved Shanshan Returns to China! Panda Enthusiast Reunite in China
Shanshan has grown into an adult.
I have watched her grow since she was born, so I felt as if I was sending my own child to study abroad,” said photographer Takahiro Koji in an interview last May.
In an interview last May, photographer Takahiro Koji said, “I have watched Shanshan grow since she was born, so I felt like I was sending my own child to study abroad. Mr. Koji is a panda watcher who has been taking pictures of pandas at the Ueno Zoo almost every day for the past 13 years. He has delighted the eyes of many panda fans with his fascinating photos on his blog, “Pandas Everyday.
The “own child” mentioned at the beginning of this article is Shanshan, who was returned to China last February. For Mr. Gao, the return of Shanshan to China is like “sending my daughter from her parents’ home in Ueno to study in China. In an interview, he also said that he would like to visit her once her whereabouts is determined.
On November 8 of last year, that day finally arrived. The day finally came. I participated in a tour organized by the China Tourism Representative Office in Tokyo, which promotes exchange between Japan and China, and was reunited with Shanshan, who lives at the Ya’an Bifengxia Base, a giant panda conservation and research center in China.
Two months have passed since their reunion, and Mr. Gao is still very excited about the event.
Shanshan seemed to be spending her time in China in a relaxed and carefree manner.
Shanshan was first shown to the public in October of last year, eight months after China’s return to Japan. Mr. Gao recalls how anxious he was during that time.
I wondered if something had happened to him and if he was still alive and well. That is why I was relieved when the film was released to the public and I could see that he had finally gotten used to his new environment.
The chance to see Shan Shan again was exciting, but the journey to the base where Shan Shan lives was more distant than expected.
It took about four hours by train and bus from the airport in Chengdu, the nearest city to Ya’an, to the Ya’an Bifengxia Panda Base in Ya’an City in the western part of Sichuan Province.
The base, located in the middle of the forest, is about 15 times the size of the Tokyo Dome, and 60 pandas are being raised in a natural environment.
“On the first day we arrived at the facility and had a little time before the feeding exchange, so we had dinner with the tour participants and moved on when it was time to go. I was ready for the shutter, but I couldn’t tell which direction Shan Shan was coming from. I thought it was probably coming from this direction, but I was surprised to see it coming from the opposite direction. Rather than a moving reunion, it was more of a confused reunion (laughs).
Because of the remote location, tourists were sparse. Since the number of tour participants from Japan was also small (16 people), Mr. Gao continued to point his camera at them. Shan Shan responded by slowly eating food for 20 to 30 minutes.
At first she munched on apples and dumplings, then bamboo shoots. They were all Shan Shan’s favorite foods, so she ate them with relish. He ate bamboo shoots for quite a long time without eating bamboo, which is supposed to be his staple food. In Japan, bamboo shoots are only available in spring, but in China, you can eat them all you want even in November. They looked so happy (laughs).
I got the impression that they were very relaxed and carefree. The place is rich in nature, and there are definitely fewer tourists. For Shanshan, who had been stared at by a large number of people at the Ueno Zoo, it was probably just a matter of “There are some people here…” (laughs). She seemed to be spending her time in a relaxed and leisurely manner.
She also said that seeing her “daughter” for the first time in a long time made her smile, as she looked like “a calm and independent woman.
Shanshan used to give the impression of being a naughty child, but for pandas, the age of five or six is the turning point from child to adult. I heard that she has gained about 10 kilograms in weight, and I got the impression that she has become a little plump. I feel that she has grown into an adult with dignity, and I think she has grown up to be a nice and elegant woman. I know I sound like a foolish parent (laughs).”
I felt assured that I could leave the panda in good hands”…I was sure that the panda was being cared for.
Mr. Gao enjoyed seeing Shanshan again for three days starting on the second day of the tour. He immediately organized the photos he took and uploaded them to his blog. Shanshan fans were delighted to receive the long-awaited photos from “Panda Uji-san” (a nickname given to Mr. Gao by panda fans). They expressed their gratitude to Mr. Gao in the comments section.
The feelings of Japanese shanshan and panda fans are truly passionate. How do Chinese people perceive this “panda love”?
When Shanshan left Japan, the video of Japanese fans seeing her off at the airport with tears in their eyes was broadcast in China. That is why Shanshan is well known to many people in China. I think that the fact that so many Japanese people love pandas, which are China’s national treasures, is a joy for the Chinese people as well.
When the tour group arrived at the airport, they were greeted by a large number of Chinese media and welcomed by a “Shan Shan delegation from Japan. Gao, who was interviewed every day until around 10 p.m., said he sensed “the enthusiasm of the Chinese side to promote exchange between Japan and China through the pandas.
These three very busy days were more rewarding than Gao could have imagined.
The fact that Shanshan was not allowed to see the dogs until October was also a sign that they were being watched carefully and carefully until Shanshan got used to the new environment. Once again, I felt reassured that I could trust them. I apologize for my superciliousness (laughs).
Also, until we met again, I had the feeling that I had gone somewhere far away, but once I actually went to the base and met Shanshan, the hurdle was lowered a little. Sure, it’s a long way to the base, but once I got there, I knew I could see Shanshan slowly, which brought my heart closer to her.
I’m going back again!” It was also a time that renewed my determination to go back. He hopes to visit the base at least once a year to discover the many faces of Shanshan and, if he is so inclined, to see the birth of a child.
The main purpose of Shanshan’s return to China is to find a partner, have children, and raise them.
For example, if we can find a partner this spring during the mating season, we could have a baby in the summer at the earliest. If we have a child, the fun will multiply many times over.
Pandas are booming in China… “I am glad that Shanshan seems to be the spark.
After the last day of the tour, Mr. Gao remained in China to visit other conservation and research centers in Sichuan Province.
At the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding and Research Base, one of the centers, he met and photographed Hohua, a female panda who is now very popular in China.
Until now, pandas have not been particularly popular in China, perhaps because they are so familiar to the Chinese people, but the birth of Hohua in 2009 triggered a sudden surge in panda popularity.
There may be other reasons, but the Waka boom seems to have occurred in response to Japan’s excitement over Shanshan. In fact, it is said that Waka’s rival is Shanshan. I would be happy if Shanshan is the spark that ignited the panda boom in China.”
By the way, the base where Wafuahua lives is located in the center of Chengdu and is crowded with tourists. On the day of the visit, there was a two-hour long line of people waiting in line to see Wafua.
The base where Shanshan is located is on top of a mountain, so only genuine fans visit. The base where Shanshan is located is on top of a mountain, so only genuine fans visit. The manners are gentlemanly, but at the base in Chengdu City where Waka is located, people are pushing each other around, and some are screaming (laughs). I was surprised at the difference.”
Even though it is very crowded, the base in Chengdu City is easy to get to from Japan. If Shanshan lived at a base in a big city with easy access, it would be much easier to see him.
I think Shanshan would be happier at the base because it would be easier for her to live in a quieter, less crowded environment.
The child’s happiness comes first. Papa Uji’s feelings are surely being conveyed to Shanshan.
Takahiro Koji is a photographer and graphic designer who photographs the pandas at the Ueno Zoo every day. His blog, “Pandas Everyday,” which he started in 2011, has been a hit with the media, including TV, newspapers, and magazines. She updates her blog every day. He has written many books, including “Mainichi Panda no 1010 Nichi Shanshan Shashin Shashu” and “Aiueo Panda” (Seishun Shuppansha), “Mainichi Shanshan 2017-2021” (KADOKAWA), and “I LOVE Shanshan: Preservation Edition Photo Book” (MDDN Corporation).
For Takahiro Koji’s blog, “Panda Every Day,” click here.
Interview and text： Keiko Tsuji
