Volunteers from the Chinese nonprofit group Long Gongyi are also on site, providing medical and guidance services to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for visitors.

At the opening ceremony, representatives from China and Japan highlighted the panda as a symbol of friendship between the two countries.

Ouyang An, director of the China National Tourist Office in Tokyo, shared updates on Ri Ri and Shin Shin, the pandas that previously lived at Ueno Zoo and returned to Sichuan province last year.

Toshimitsu Doi, president of the Japan Panda Protection Association, praised the many panda-inspired creative works on display.

"Combining painting with design is, in itself, a highly enjoyable endeavor," he said. "If one recalls the true image of the panda and vividly brings it to mind, the work not only appears more lively but almost feels as if it could bring joy to the panda itself."

Co-hosted by China Television Corporation and Ueno Central Shopping Street since 2023, the festival has grown into one of Tokyo's best-known Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations, attracting more than 100,000 visitors each year.

houjunjie@chinadaily.com