Bunny Island

Positioned in the Inland Sea of Japan, the small island of Okunoshima is occupied by heaps of freely roaming wild rabbits. Perhaps better known as “Bunny Island”, it has become a major tourist destination. In recent years, an increasing number of visitors have made the trip to feed and snap photos of the fluffy residents. However, the island intertwined with a dark past has not always been so tourist friendly.

A rather stark contrast to the current bunny enclave, the island previously served as a production site for Japan’s chemical weapons during WWII.  Between 1929-1945, the Japanese army produced over 6000 tons of poisonous gas and a colony of rabbits were brought to the island in order to test the effects of the poison.  It remains unsure whether all the rabbits were killed off during the experiments but there is no proof that today’s inhabitants on the “Bunny Island” are descendants of the unfortunate test subjects. Other rumors include visitors intentionally setting bunnies loose on the island to simply add tourist appeal.

Now, Okunoshima is a popular attraction with its own resort and camping grounds. Since there have not been any official decontamination efforts from the government, groundwater and some of the soil is still toxic from chemical munitions plants and is deemed unsafe for human consumption. Thus, visitors are encouraged to feed the rabbits with carrots and cabbages as natural food sources are scarce. Open bottles of water can also be seen left out around the island for the rabbits to consume. Although the source of these furry creatures remains a mystery, the population continues to thrive with the help of humans and a lack of natural predators on the island.