The Rabbit Paradise with a Dark Past Erased – Okunoshima Island | Hiroshima, Japan Travel

The Rabbit Paradise with a Dark Past Erased – Okunoshima Island | Hiroshima, Japan Travel

Ōkunoshima is a small island in the Seto Inland Sea with a circumference of about 4 kilometers. It is known as Rabbit Island, home to hundreds of wild rabbits. They are accustomed to people and you can enjoy feeding and interacting with them. The highlights of this island are not just the rabbits—its scattered ruins are also fascinating. During World War II, the Japanese Army manufactured poison gas on this island. The facilities became ruins and still remain on the island today. These ruins, combined with the beautiful nature, create a unique landscape. In this video, we will introduce the highlights of the island while circling around it. Please watch until the end. Feel Japan offers travel ideas in Japan. Follow us and be inspired to discover the unknown wonders of Japan. If you like this video, give us a thumbs up. Your comments are also welcome. Tadanoumi Port Ferry Terminal is the gateway to Ōkunoshima. There is a shop here that sells various rabbit-themed goods. Also, since rabbit food is not sold on the island, we recommend purchasing it here. From this terminal, it takes about 15 minutes by ferry to reach the island. Kyukamura Ōkunoshima is the island’s only accommodation facility. Even day-trippers can enjoy the restaurant and hot spring, and rent bicycles to explore the island. In the open area in front of the hotel, many rabbits can be seen. If you’re visiting this island to interact with the rabbits, avoid the summer season. They are very sensitive to heat. On hot days, they rest in the shade and do not come out in front of people. The best time to visit is from spring to early summer. Spring is their breeding season, so you might see baby rabbits. These friendly creatures quickly approach people, but that’s because they rely on food given by visitors. Due to the drop in tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic, opportunities to receive food decreased, and their population significantly declined. When feeding them, use specialized food or suitable vegetables. If you use the special rabbit food sold at the ferry terminal, you can feed them safely. These rabbits are a non-native species called European rabbits. It is still a mystery who brought them to the island and when. Now let’s take a look at the island’s contrasting side, beyond the rabbit paradise. This island was once used for military purposes and served as a poison gas production base during wartime. Many remnants of those facilities still remain today. After passing through a tunnel, the largest ruin on the island appears. It is the remains of a power plant that once supplied electricity to the factory. The building has been weathered by rain and wind over many years, giving a strong sense of history. Most of these structures are off-limits, as they could collapse at any time. As you walk along the path, rabbits sense your presence and come running from all directions. They are found all over the island, so it’s good to bring plenty of food. Because you stop so often, it’s hard to make much progress. What appears ahead is the ruins of a battery once used to defend the island. There are several such battery remains scattered throughout the island. Now we’ve reached the western side of the island. Here lies the remains of a poison gas storage facility—an essential part of the island’s history. Only the concrete walls remain today. But in the past, large tanks used to store poison gas were placed here. After the war, the tanks were removed and incinerated to eliminate toxins. That’s why the walls are blackened with soot. Passing by the hotel, we head toward the southern side of the island. In the forest, we find the ruins of a searchlight facility. A searchlight was placed here to monitor ships passing through the sea at night. We’ve arrived at the lighthouse on the southern tip of the island. However, due to a landslide on the path leading to the lighthouse, entry is currently prohibited. Along the coastline stands the island’s symbol: the Rabbit Ear Sculpture. Just like real rabbit ears, it helps you hear distant sounds more clearly. Be sure to place your ears against it and listen. Finally, we climb the mountain toward the observation deck in the center of the island. There are several routes to the summit, but this time we take the scenic route along the ridge. The rabbits appear no matter where you are. We reach the observation deck. On clear days, you can see distant islands all around. Next to the observation deck are the largest battery ruins on the island. Few people make it this far, so the area is quite decayed. Overgrown with vegetation,
the site has a mysterious atmosphere and tells the story of the island’s past. Ōkunoshima is not only a place where you can interact with adorable rabbits, but also a valuable site that conveys the history of war. Why not spend a special time on this island, where rich nature and historical heritage coexist? Thank you for watching the video until the end. Please subscribe to this channel, give us a thumbs up, and leave a comment. Various links are listed in the overview. We welcome your recommendations and requests in the comments and on the social media.

Okunoshima is a small island in Hiroshima Prefecture, known as a paradise for rabbits.
Today, friendly rabbits greet visitors throughout the island, but in the past, it was a secret site for poison gas production.

Okunoshima Island
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00:00 Opening
00:22 Overview
03:31 Tadanoumi Port Ferry Terminal
06:21 Holiday Village Okunoshima
07:18 About Rabbits
10:30 The Past of Okunoshima
11:35 Power Plant Ruins
14:15 Northern Battery Ruins
15:31 Poison Gas Storage Facility Ruins
17:31 Southern Lighthouse Ruins
19:35 Okunoshima Lighthouse
21:05 Rabbit Ear Sculpture
21:58 Hyokkori Observation Deck
24:10 Central Battery Ruins
25:34 Closing