Japan’s Adventure World dresses humans as pandas after the last giant pandas return to China; visitors can’t stop talking about it

When the last four giant pandas relocated from Adventure World in Wakayama in June 2025, it left a void in the park. For over three decades, these black and white cuddly animals had remained the heartbeat of this Japanese park, attracting visitors from far and wide in Japan and other parts of the world. Instead of this void bringing gloom or sadness to this park, its administration decided to make a very unexpected and meaningful statement. It decided to dress up like pandas and allow park visitors to play with them.


This leads to a rare combination of laughter, remembrance, joyful interaction, and learning that stems from the relationship between the pandas and the Japanese, as well as the connections between the animals, the caretakers, and the Japanese public.

Japan’s Adventure World after its pandas returned to China

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), Adventure World, which is located south of Osaka, has returned the final four pandas to their homeland of China as part of the long-term loan agreement. The park has been actively involved in panda conservation and breeding efforts for the past 30 years.

Lacking any plans for new panda additions, the park was faced with the task of reinventing experiences for its visitors, all within the framework of commemorating its past. Rather than opting for replacements or gradually doing something else, the park found itself embracing the experiences around stories, memories, and engagement, thus creating something that has emerged as one of the strangest experiences found within a zoo setting in the last couple of years. At the helm of such experiences is the “Panda Love Club”, which involves an immersive 90-minute activity that gives visitors the chance to find themselves within the functions of the park's animal handlers. Customers participate in activities such as food preparation, observation, checking the pens, and writing observation files.

The most talked-about moment comes when visitors encounter staff members seated behind bars, wearing panda headgear and black-and-white costumes. Guests are invited to gently feed them apple pieces, reversing the usual roles in a way that sparks laughter while encouraging reflection on the care and responsibility involved in animal management.

How Japan is reframing panda conservation after their return to China

The experience, says the park, isn't about comedy alone but about helping its visitors understand the bond pandas and their caretakers share deeply, along with the seriousness needed to preserve wildlife for the next generations.

By placing humans in the position of animals, the programme subtly highlights vulnerability, dependence, and trust. It transforms the absence of pandas into a learning opportunity rather than a loss to be ignored, reinforcing the idea that conservation does not end when animals leave. The return of Adventure World’s pandas marked the beginning of a major shift for Japan. In January 2026, the country will experience its first month without any giant pandas since 1972. Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo is set to return its remaining twin pandas, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, to China, with no replacements planned.

For a generation of Japanese visitors, the pandas symbolized friendship, diplomacy, and shared cultural fascination. The lack of them expresses not just a logistical change for zoos but an emotional moment for the public.