New Delhi: There are islands in the world which are heavily inhabited by cats and snakes, like the Snake Island in Brazil and the Aoshima in Japan. But an island dedicated entirely to the rabbits? Well, there is one such island in Japan only, known as Ōkunoshima. If you ever visit this place, you will find an abundance of domestic rabbits that roam the streets freely. In this article, we will learn more about this place.
Where is Ōkunoshima?
Ōkunoshima is a small island in Japan’s Inland Sea and is reportedly a part of Takehara city in Hiroshima Prefecture. One can go there from Ōmishima and Tadanoumi and can enjoy the walking trails, campsites and historical places.
Why is it famous?
The island is famous due to the huge number of domestic rabbits that roam the island, which is why it is called Usagi Shima (meaning Rabbit Island). Tame in nature, many of them descended from those rabbits which were let loose on the island intentionally after World War II when it was being made a park.
Notably, during World War II, Ōkunoshima was used as a poison gas factory for chemical warfare in China, due to which a Poison Gas Museum was opened there in 1988 to make as many people as possible aware of the dreadful truths about poison gas. During the war, the chemical munitions plant used rabbits to test the chemical weapons. When the factory was demolished, those rabbits were killed and the rabbits of today’s age on the island are not related to them. It is forbidden to hunt rabbits and dogs and cats are banned there. Tourists going to the island can easily feed the rabbits since they are soft and tender in nature.
The island still has the ruins of the gas factory but it is closed for being too dangerous. Being part of Japan’s Inland Sea National Park system, the island has a resource centre. One can visit the museum to learn about the chemical plant’s construction, working conditions, and the effects of poison gas.
How can you visit the island?
From mainland Japan, one can go to Ōkunoshima by taking the San’yō Shinkansen train to Mihara Station. From there, tourists have to catch the Kure Line local train to Tadanoumi. After reaching Tadanoumi, they have to walk to the terminal and catch a ferry. There are direct ferries on weekends from Mihara Port to Ōkunoshima. Even though the travel sounds hectic, it is worth every bit for the cute rabbits on the island.
The island is famous due to the large population of free-ranging domestic rabbits that roam the island, which is why it is called Usagi Shima. Many of them descended from those let loose intentionally after World War II. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
