TANABE, Wakayama -- The Adventure World zoo and amusement park in west Japan will from June 7 open advance applications to visit a sending-off ceremony for four panda bears the day before they are set to be returned to China.

Entry for the June 27 event in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, will be free, but visitor numbers will be capped at 3,500.

The ceremony, which will take place at the park's Big Ocean area from 4 p.m. until 4:45 p.m., is also planned to be streamed on YouTube.

After showing a video documenting the growth and parenting of the four pandas, the facility will broadcast live how the animals are spending their last day in Japan. The trainers will also present messages to the departing bears.

Ahead of the ceremony, the park will also gather "panda messages" online and on-site of people's feelings toward the bears and wishes to meet new pandas. The park is also preparing a banner for people visiting June 27 to write on.

Applications to visit the ceremony can be made via a custom site https://terravie-app.com/items/9f0dff26-8d1d-4602-9a55-d5655fe96d0d available in Japanese and English, starting at noon June 7.

(Japanese original by Koji Osawa, Tanabe Local Bureau)