Bunny Island - Ōkunoshima

The Power Plant and Chemical Factory

No Fear Wild Rabbit

Okunoshima was a secret chemical weapons facility from the 1930’s until the end of World War II.  Residents and employees were not told what the plant was manufacturing.  After the war, the Allied Occupation Forces dumped, burned, and buried the poison gas material.

There are storage talk cribs scattered around the island and the remains of the power station and chemical factory.

 

The most interesting thing about the island is the wild rabbits.  The island was developed after the war as a National Park and rabbits were intentionally let loose.  The rabbits have no natural enemies and have bred like, well, rabbits.  It is like the Galapagos of rabbits.

 

The Round Trip Train Route

We easily saw 200 rabbits while we walked the island.  They had no fear of humans and seemed quite well fed thanks to the tourism.  Some didn’t even want the carrots we bought and had been carrying since the market in Osaka.  They didn’t run away like wild rabbits.  They mostly just sat there looking at us.

 

They day we went, the weather was beautiful and there was no shortage of visitors.  If you go there on a cold or rainy day, the rabbits would surely be more interested in the food you bring.

Carrots were a real treat

We took the Bullet Train from Hiroshima to Mihara station and then the local Kure Line to Tadanoumi Station.  It’s a short walk to the ferry terminal and a 15 minute ferry ride to the island.  Ferries run about every hour.

 

They didn't seem to be too interested in lettuce

On our way back to the Hiroshima Station, we continued on the Kure Line along the coast and got a much better feel for the coast than we did from the Bullet Train.

Dave Deakyne
David Deakyne
David J. Deakyne
Dave Deakyne
Wallingford Dave Deakyne
David Deakyne
David J. Deakyne
Dave Deakyne
Wallingford