From January 31 to February 2, Ueno Park in Tokyo, Japan, hosted the three-day “2025 Ueno Panda Spring Festival.” Visitors enjoyed spectacular performances, authentic Chinese cuisine, adorable panda photography exhibitions, and engaging games, creating a lively atmosphere reminiscent of a traditional temple fair.
At 10:45 AM on January 31, reporters arrived at the park. Although the event was set to start in 15 minutes, long lines had already formed at the entrance. Despite being a weekday in Japan, the festival still attracted many visitors. A Japanese couple told reporters that they had learned about the event through social media and traveled from Chiba Prefecture specifically to attend. Meanwhile, Takuma Sakamaki and Yuka Tanaka from Saitama Prefecture heard about it from their Japanese friends and decided to join the fun.
As one of Tokyo’s largest Lunar New Year celebrations, the “Ueno Panda Spring Festival” is now in its third year. The event first debuted in 2023, drawing over 100,000 visitors. Last year, it welcomed around 200,000 attendees, and this year’s festival remains just as popular.
The festival venue was packed with people, with rows of red lanterns hanging prominently in front of the main stage. The aroma of delicious food filled the air as vendors enthusiastically called out to customers, adding to the festive cheer. This year, the festival featured dozens of food stalls, most of them offering Chinese delicacies such as hot and sour noodles, dandan noodles, rice noodles, soup dumplings, lamb skewers, crispy flatbreads, and candied hawthorn. Several stalls also served Japanese street food, providing a rich variety of flavors.
“We originally came to Ueno Park to visit the museums, but we were surprised to find such a strong Lunar New Year atmosphere here. It feels so festive and familiar, just like being back home,” said Wu Shenghe, a tourist from Beijing.
Two Italian tourists shared their excitement, saying they had previously experienced Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations in Milan, Italy, and had recently visited Yokohama Chinatown to watch a lion dance performance. Stumbling upon the Ueno Panda Spring Festival gave them another opportunity to enjoy Chinese cuisine and experience the charm of Chinese New Year traditions.
A highlight of the event was a photography exhibition featuring Japan’s famous panda photographer Takahiro Takashi’s works on the country’s beloved pandas, including Xiang Xiang, Bi Li, Xian Nu, Xiao Xiao, and Lei Lei. The exhibit attracted large crowds eager to view the images.
“I first learned about Chinese culture through pandas, and participating in such a vibrant New Year festival has given me a deeper understanding of the traditions,” said Takahiro Takashi. “This time, I am acting as a ‘Chinese New Year ambassador’ in Ueno Park, but I hope to visit China in the future and experience the magic of the Spring Festival firsthand.”