Baby panda 'works overtime' in Tokyo

TOKYO - By popular demand, Tokyo's new panda cub Xiang Xiang is working extra hours from Tuesday, the latest example of overtime in a country famous for its hardworking "salarymen".

Ueno zoo's first baby panda since 1988 will be on display for an extra two hours every day until the end of January and working a full seven-hour day from February to cater to the thousands of fans of the cuddly celebrity.

Munching on bamboo shoots and nuzzling her mother, the bright-eyed seven-month-old has been the object of major media attention, with visitors clad in panda paraphernalia flocking to see her since her first public appearance in December.