Ōkunoshima

This island carries a dark and unsettling history, once serving as a site where poisonous gas was manufactured during World War II. Remnants of the factory still remain scattered across the island, and walking or cycling around to discover them is both fascinating and sobering. While the museum costs only 200 yen, it is small and offers limited information about the gas production, leaving much of the history to be imagined through what remains. In striking contrast to its past, the most heartwarming part of the island is the presence of domesticated European rabbits that were brought here and have since flourished. They roam freely everywhere, and feeding and playing with them feels surprisingly calming and therapeutic. The island is also filled with beautiful, Instagram-worthy spots, making it a peaceful place to explore and relax. There is a deep irony in finding such tranquility on an island that once existed to create such inhumane weapons—a powerful reminder of how places, like people, can heal over time.

I had a great time hiking about the island about a month ago in August 9th. The boats come at hour intervals, so you get some time to explore. Some of the paths were closed due to flooding, but I did love bringing cabbage and feeding it to the rabbits!

Rabbits are nice. Don‘t expect thousands though. But you can besure you will meet planty. Be aware of Ferry mid day brake.

If you're fit, you can walk every path on the island in 2 to 3 hours. On a Wednesday in October, the island seemed quiet - certainly no sense of overtourism, especially away from the hotel. It's worth staying overnight in the hotel for the sunset and for a slower pace. The hotel is aging, but it's perfectly clean. The whole island seems to be neglected for a few decades so not only do you see rabbits and gas factory ruins, but also a bit of tourism ruins. At night, I had an encounter with a wild boar so it probably is not a good idea to venture far from the hotel after sunset. It is worth walking to a beach or sea wall at night: you can see bioluminescent "sea fireflies" (tiny crustaceans that twinkle at night when disturbed by waves) twinkling lightly along the shore up close. I booked online and it turns out my booking included buffet dinner and breakfast.

i love rabbits and have wanted to visit here since i moved to Japan. i only went for a day trip since i couldn't reserve a room in the hotel on the island, but i would have loved to stay overnight just to spend more time with the rabbits. i went on a cloudy colder day so i wasn't sure if i would see any bunnies, but there were lots out and lots of people feeding them! they are very friendly and a lot of them seemed relaxed, which i was happy to see. you shouldn't pet them though because they are wild animals! i saw a lot of people petting them, and while the rabbits seem very sociable they also live outdoors. some of them are also in a little rough shape, and i saw some that had dirt crusted on their noses. there are piles of hay scattered around the island and water bowls for them to drink from, but they obviously appreciate the extra veggie treats that tourists bring. i brought some lettuce but if you go i would advise you to bring a lot, it was gone within 5 minutes!! there are also pellet treats available at the gift shop off of the island, before you get on the ferry. i highly recommend going if you're a rabbit lover, but even if you aren't i would go just to feed the bunnies since they depend on volunteers and tourists for food. the island is also pretty and has gorgeous views of the ocean, i would highly suggest going in the summer to get the best experience. the gift shop also has lots of adorable rabbit themed merchandise.

A magical island worth a visit. If you love rabbits and cool islands this is the place for you. Bring your swim trunks and check out the beach too. Get a bag of rabbit food from スーパーマミー which is not too far from the ferry.

An interesting place with its own history. Cute rabbits eat neatly from your hands. Conveniently located ferry.

Rabbits 🐇 + Nature 🌲. You can easily hike around the entire island, and climbing up is quite nice. Worth the trip if you're already in Hiroshima as it's one of those weird places that you'll just never see in the west, so make it a day trip. Just be sure to buy rabbit food beforehand as you can't get any on the island. Just don't miss the last boat back!!