okunoshima now quiet while people are staying home

Once the ferry and passenger service was packed with tourists on the weekend and sometimes, or oftentimes rather, people had to wait for the next service to go to okunoshima because the island became too famous, first among tourist from abroad then followed by Japanese, due to the YouTube post of rabbits stampeding after a woman from Taiwan.

Now the island is taking a break and quiet again. 

Since I live just one hour away by car and ferry from the island, my husband and I took advantage of it and went to the island again in winter. Almost half a year has passed and now I am eager to go back (it's easy). 

Many tourists came to Hiroshima before the covid but most didn't have time to come down to the island. It will be the same from now on too after the covid case is closed (hopefully we can close the case). 

So now I'm thinking about providing an online meeting on the island. That way, those who cannot come can still experience the island more intimately. Or those who are planning to come some day can prepare for that. I wonder what I can do but at least due to covid, people became much closer to online activities. I learned the technology is out there. 

Here are two pics from several years ago. The baby in the picture is now six years old and attending primary school. In the other picture, kids from abroad are happy with the rabbits, feeding and playing with them. The parents must have been smiling beside them. The days like it will be back some day but let us be a little wiser and think about sustainable tourism. 

perhaps better to keep the bunny island off-the-beaten path

bunnies at the former power station built in 1929
along with the poison gas factory complex.

I happened to start paying more attention to the Okunoshima island when the island was gradually becoming well known around 2010. The first encounter to the island was not through bunnies but to learn the history of the island as part of the Geiyo Fortress and as the imperial army's poison gas factory site. The toxic gas was in fact used in China by the Japanese army when this country was waging warfare. 

Having said that, however, bunnies were hard to ignore. Anytime, at any visit, they were so cute. 

Soon the transformation of the Tadanoumi Port began because of the bunny movies on the net. The port didn't have any back then except the free parking lot which I really appreciated. Now the ticket selling complex sells touristy bunny souvenirs. The Smart Exchange system will be helpful for the overseas visitors. This is amazing to see at this small port. 

pretty but not exactly my cup-of-tea

catering to many currencies

Going to the island on the weekend is what you would like to avoid if possible. Too many humans and too much food for the bunnies. At the end of the day, humans abandon the leftover veggies for the bunnies around the island port area. They could be eaten by bunnies later but the wild bores are happily eating them, too. 

The island is not readily accessible but now I think it will be better that way to stop the surging impact by too many visitors on the island.

Humans have a tendency to cause trouble wherever they go. So let us look back at our footprints. If they are biodegradable and do not disturb the balance of ecosystem, the world would remain pristine. 

pristine like this - but remember the past contamination

TODAY'S STAR from the bunny island on June 1, 2018.

shina-chan aged five

Shina-chan whose grandfather was abandoned in the island by his human owners, survived, thrived, and now his granddaughter is a very popular star!! Native bunnies on the island are brown but you often see so called "panda bunnies." They were former pets of the humans who left them on the island. A great number of humans are coming to the island particularly on the weekend. And of course they would like to feed the bunnies but too many humans bring in too much food and it has been causing trouble in some ways. The Takehara city authorities, please be wise and do not just pursue short-sighted exploitation. Pretty please from bunnies and do not forget the dark side of the history which has to be handed down as a lesson.

And more bunnies:

And peace cranes remembering the dead:

peace cranes to the former poison gas workers
killed while working or later

Kids and bunnies

The popularity of okunoshima bunny island is here to stay. Whenever I go, I see travelers from abroad in addition to the travelers I took to the island. This time, we managed to hike up to the summit and visit the poison gas museum in addition to feeding the bunnies in two hours on the island. We didn't see all but talked about the war-related history during the tour. AND bunnies are always cute and just melt you. 

This photo is from a different occasion.

Entitled a bunny and a baby

At the summit, the table is ready for the bunnies.

OKUNOSHIMA, incredibly beautiful and BUNNIES, so cute

It always happens and this time too:  I took a picture at the same usual spot. Always enchanting with different times of the day in different weather. This time very mystic. Even the tower looks something from a different world. I will be never tired of spending time on the island with bunnies and the view from the summit. 

Now you can sip a cup of bunny coffee ...

And bunnies, running.

Okunoshima itinerary model

Here is an example of an okunoshima tour itinerary for your reference. I wanted to respond back to a comment from a visitor to this blog but could not due to system complications. I am out of reach to my PC for the time being. Let me try submitting an article for her reference.

Okunoshima access (ferry &train table)

http://www.qkamura.or.jp/ohkuno/access/images/jikokuhyo.pdf

There should be a JR train arriving at TADANOUMI Stn from MIHARA at 9:52 (this could be updated in the middle of March by JR).

Leave TADANOUMI Port by ship at 10:05;

Arrive on the island at 10:17;

Leave the island at 12:45;

Arrive at the port at 12:57;

Leave TADANOUMI Stn for MIHARA at 13:15;

Transfer at MIHARA and go to HIROSHIMA.

Enjoy your journey.