They came, dressed in black and white, wearing furry hats, and clutching banners and soft toys. With tears in their eyes and sobs in their throats, they waited patiently in line under the scorching sun for one last glimpse before it was all over.

Pandas have become huge celebrities in the Japanese town of Shirahama. Over three decades, their presence at the local Adventure World zoo has drawn hundreds of thousands of visitors whose love for the cute creatures has elevated them to cult status and put the town on the map.

But now, the four pandas of Shirahama — Rauhin, age 24, and her daughters Yuihin, 8, Saihin, 6, and Fuhin, 4 — are leaving. Though they were all born in this town, the pandas ultimately belong to China, which began lending pandas to Shirahama in 1994. This year, China declined to extend the agreement and summoned them back to their ancestral home. No more are due to take their place.

In Japan’s panda capital, facing a future without its bears, the public was bereft. “Being here brought back so many memories,” wept Shiori Sakurai, one of many panda fans turning out to bid farewell at a ceremony on June 27. “And I realized, I really don’t want them to go. Let’s meet again, OK? I’ll keep loving you every single day.”

“It’s simply sad,” said Mihoko Ninomiya, joining the crowds at the Adventure World for the last time with her daughter and granddaughter — “three generations of panda fans” who have made monthly pilgrimages to see the bears. “We’ve been coming here since my daughter was a little girl,” she said. “We will miss them terribly.”