The Japanese word for panda is ‘panda,’ which is an English loanword. Although the kanji for panda, ‘熊猫’ (kumamon), exists in Japanese, it is not commonly used in everyday conversation. Instead, the word “panda” is pronounced as ‘panda’ and is the most commonly used term in Japan.
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| Romanji | Kanji | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Panda くまねこ | Kumaneko | 熊猫 | |
| Panda (English loanword) パンダ | Panda | None | |
| Red panda レッサーパンダ | Ressā panda | None | |
| Giant panda ジャイアントパンダ | Jaiantopanda | None |
Interesting facts about pandas in Japan
The kanji for panda
The kanji for panda is 熊猫. This is particularly interesting because the first kanji means bear and the second one means cat. Therefore the direct translation for panda in Japanese to English means bear cat.
Are there pandas in Japan?
Japan has a number of zoos and wildlife parks that feature pandas, allowing visitors to see these cute animals. Pandas, however, are not native to Japan and are instead found in the mountains of central China in the provinces of Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu. Some of the places in Japan where pandas can be found include the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo and Adventure World in Wakayama Prefecture. Read more here.