Lan Lan

Basic Profile

Lan Lan (Chinese: 兰兰, studbook 123) was a female giant panda selected from Beijing Zoo as a diplomatic gift to Japan. Premier Zhou Enlai personally oversaw the selection and naming of both pandas — originally named differently, they were renamed “Kang Kang” and “Lan Lan” to symbolize health and tranquility.

Arrival in Japan

On October 28, 1972, Lan Lan and Kang Kang arrived at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport aboard a panda-dedicated charter flight. Chief Cabinet Secretary Susumu Nikaido led the welcome ceremony, and the pandas were escorted to Ueno Zoo by a motorcade with police outriders. Television personality Tetsuko Kuroyanagi (author of Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window) was among the crowd, later recalling that she skipped work to see the pandas, waiting until late at night.

The pair made their first public appearance on November 5, 1972. Demand was so intense — over 56,000 people came — that the zoo limited viewing to just two hours to avoid stressing the shy Lan Lan. Only one in three visitors managed to see them.

Life at Ueno Zoo

Lan Lan was known for her preference for Red Fuji apples, which her keeper Toshinori Tanabe specially procured for her. The pair attracted over 7 million annual visitors to Ueno Zoo. Their popularity inspired the 1972 anime film Panda Kopanda and cemented the panda as a cultural icon in Japan.

Death

In September 1978, Lan Lan died while pregnant, triggering national mourning in Japan. Her pregnancy was discovered only after her death. After Lan Lan’s passing, Prime Minister Masayoshi Ōhira requested a new female companion for Kang Kang during his December 1979 visit to China, leading to the gifting of Huan Huan (欢欢). Lan Lan’s taxidermy specimen, alongside Kang Kang’s, is preserved at Tama Zoological Park in Tokyo.