Cat islands are common around the world. But have you ever heard of a rabbit island that’s completely covered with rabbits? The island is located in the Seto Inland Sea. As soon as you get off the ferry, the sight of rabbits jumping around will warm your heart. Why not come for a visit?

What is Okunojima？

Okunojima is a small island in the Seto Inland Sea, with a perimeter of only 4.3km. Approximately 700 wild rabbits live there. Because there are so many rabbits, it’s known as “rabbit Island,” and attracts a lot of tourists. Until 1945, the island was controlled by the Japanese army, and was home to a poison gas factory. To hide this factory, it was not shown on maps. In the past, it was used to make deadly poison that caused many people to die painfully. Nowadays, it’s a national park full of cute rabbits.

Access

There are 2 ways to get to Okunojima from Hiroshima City.

By Train

Access	Transportation	One-Way Fee
Hiroshima Station ↓ Mihara Station	JR Sanyo Shinkansen (30mins)	￥3,570
↓ Kure Line “Tadanoumi-eki” ↓	JR Train (25mins)	￥320
Tadanoumikō ↓	Walk (3mins)	–
Okunojima	Ferry (15mins)	￥310
Total	1h 15mins	￥4,200

By Bus

Access	Transportation	Required Time
Hiroshima Bus Center ↓ Kure Line “Tadanoumi-eki”	Geiyo Bus “Kaguyahime Line” (1h30mins)	￥1490
↓ Tadanoumikō ↓	Walk (3mins)	–
Okunojima	Ferry (15mins)	￥310
Total	1h 30mins	￥1800

Facilities

At Okunojima, there’s lots of fun things besides the rabbits. Here, I will go through a few of those.

Kyukamura

There’s a free bus from the terminal where the ferry arrives to Kyukamura. If you walk, it’s about 15 minutes. It has accommodation, hot springs, restaurants, and shops. The accommodation facility consists of 65 rooms in total: 63 Japanese style rooms, and 2 Western style rooms. In the Japanese rooms, you can relax on the traditional Japanese tatami flooring. There is a hot spring in the facility, where you can bathe while enjoying the view of the setting sun over the Seto Inland Sea.You can also go on a day trip to the hot spring.

Kyukamura has a restaurant on the first floor, with meals mainly focusing on seafood, such as the Greedy Octopus Meal, the Sashimi Meal, and the Sea Bream Head and Kamameshi Meal. There’s even the interestingly named Rabbit Booger Ice Cream.

Kyukamura
Address	5476-4 Tadanoumicho, Takehara (map)
Open	Shop: 7:30a.m.-9:00p.m
Website	Official Website

Sports Facilities

There are tennis courts, and an outdoor pool which opens only during summer in the island. You can work up a sweat while out in nature.

Rental Bicycle

The perimeter of the island is only 4.3 km, so you can walk around it, but you can also borrow an electric bicycle to get around the island.

Activities

In addition to the sports facilities, there are beaches open in the summer, campgrounds, and other facilities to help you enjoy a relaxing time surrounded by nature.

Okunojima Visitor Center

This facility has displays and explanations about the Seto Inland Sea and the natural environment of Okunojima. Admission is free.

Okunojima Visitor Center
Address	Okunoshima, Tadanoumicho, Takehara (map)
Open	9:00a.m.- 4:00p.m.
Closed	Wed. (Jan -Feb is on Wed., Thurs.) The year-end and New Year
Website	Tripadvisor

Poison Gas Museum

Okunojima was controlled by the Japanese army until 1945, and was home to a chemical weapons factory that produced poison gas. The museum has detailed information about this period in the island’s history.

Poison Gas Museum
Open	9:00a.m.- 4:30p.m. (entry permitted until 4:00p.m.）
Closed	The year-end and New Year (Dec 29-Jan 3）
Fee	Adult/ ￥100 Child/ ￥50
Website	Tripadvisor

Things to Remember When Handling Rabbits

The rabbits living in Okunojima are wild. If they are picked up unwillingly, they will be afraid and try to get away, potentially breaking a bone or injuring themselves, so please refrain from holding them.

If you give food to a rabbit on the street, they will keep standing in that spot, which is dangerous. Please do not feed the rabbits in areas with cars and bicycles.

Bring Your Own Rabbit Food

Maybe it’s because a lot of tourists have been visiting recently. When they see a human, the hungry rabbits all swarm towards them. It’s very cute. If you don’t have any food for them, the rabbits will be disappointed, and it won’t be any fun for you either. But even if you don’t have any rabbit food, please don’t give them any human food. They can’t digest it properly. You can find cheap rabbit food at the convenience store by Tadanoumi Station, or the shop at Tadanoumi Port before you take the ferry to the island.

I recommend buying it before heading to Okunojima. On the off chance you end up with some food left over, please take it home with you rather than leaving it on the island.
If the food rots, crows will come after it, which could lead to even more dangers for the rabbits.

Fun Island Full of Cute Rabbits

Okunojima was once home to a poison gas factory that killed scores of people, but now rabbits play peacefully on the island. You can stay at the holiday village, relax in the hot springs, and experience Japanese culture, or you can just come on a day trip to play with the rabbits. Come and create some fun me-ories at this unique rabbit island.

 

Writer: Minaminami