Rabbit Island: A Hop, Skip and a Jump from Hiroshima

Oct 28, 2021

Rabbit Island: A Hop, Skip and a Jump from Hiroshima

You probably are unfamiliar with the name Okunoshima, but if someone mentions its nickname, you’re almost certain to know where they’re talking about. After all, who hasn’t heard of Rabbit Island? Rabbit Island, so named for the hordes of rabbits that run wild, is the main attraction for this increasingly popular tourist destination.

Rabbit Island is located in the Inland Sea and is easily accessible from Hiroshima and Omishima Island on the Shimanami Kaido. It’s a wonderful day trip for locals, but a hotel on the island now means it’s easy to stay a little longer if you don’t feel like rushing back to city life right away and want to spend more time with the locals.

The rabbits make this place a fun, family-friendly outing, but it wasn’t always this way. The whole island is shrouded in more than a bit of mystery due to its past.

Historical records show that the island was home to a poison gas factory owned and operated by the Japanese Imperial Army between 1929 and 1945. The factory produced five different types of gases during this time. The island was so secret that The Army even removed it from maps during the era it was in use. Legend has it that the rabbits were used to test the effects of the gas. Many people dispute this, though, and there is a separate theory that schoolchildren released the rabbits in the ’70s. Either way, there’s no proof to explain the rabbits’ true origin. One thing is for sure, though, which is that the population on the island boomed since the rabbits had no natural predators or competition. And that set of circumstances is how you end up with a Rabbit Island. 

The factory is now a museum, and although its contents are a little grim, it does make for interesting reading. At only 150 yen for admission and free for people under 19, it’s also a bargain! The museum is open every day between 9 am and 4:30 pm.

The mystery continues with abandoned ruins on the island akin to something from the James Bond movie, ‘Skyfall.’ If you’re interested in haikyo (廃墟) or ruins exploration, this is definitely somewhere you won’t want to miss.

If you prefer a happier outing with the family, skip the poison gas museum and decaying ruins and hang out with the rabbits. There is plenty to see, and they make for some adorable photos you can share on all your social media apps.

The fastest way to get to Rabbit Island is to take the Kodama Shinkansen from Hiroshima Station to Mihara and then change to a local train bound for Kure. Get off at Tadanoumi Station. This route will cost you 1490 yen and takes just half an hour. The ferry stop is a five-minute walk from the station. The various fares are available on the English version of the island’s new website below.

http://rabbit-island.info/en/ 

Vickerman625, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Steffen Flor, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons