You Can Visit This Japanese Island Overrun with Friendly Bunnies

ukunoshima rabbit island japan feral bunnies rabbits

Photo credit: @___jmac

If you love frolicking with furry animals, Japan may be the destination of your dreams. In addition to its famous Fox Village and  “Cat Heaven Island,” the country also boasts Ōkunoshima, a small island in the Inland Sea that has been overrun by adorable and approachable rabbits.

Aptly referred to as “Rabbit Island,” Ōkunoshima is home to a colony of hundreds—if not thousands—of friendly bunnies. No one is sure how or why the cottontails first appeared on the island, but one thing is certain: they love humans. Travelers who visit the island get to pet, cuddle, hold, and feed the bunnies, who often hop right up to them with twitching noses and big appetites. “There is no difficulty finding the bunnies,” Japan Visitor assures, “from the moment you step off the ferry they come bounding up to visitors hoping to get fed.”

While it's currently a top tourist hotspot, Ōkunoshima's history is not quite cute and cuddly. During World War II, the tiny island was employed as as chemical weapons facility. From 1929 until 1945, the location was top secret; locals didn't dare go near it, and the island didn't even make an appearance on maps! Though the rabbits have transformed the island and heavily restored its reputation, a few deserted chemical factories, military bunkers, and a Poison Gas Museum remain on-site, serving as a solemn reminder of its harrowing history.

Today, Rabbit Island is only a ferry ride away from mainland Tadanoumi and Ōmishima. If you're interested in seeing the one-of-a-kind site, you can learn more about planning a visit here.  If a trip to Japan isn't in your future, however, you can see photos from Ōkunoshima below!

This is Ōkunoshima, a small island nicknamed Usagishima or “Rabbit Island.”

ukunoshima rabbit island japan feral bunnies rabbits

Photo credit: @beatniik

On Rabbit Island, visitors are free to interact with the wild bunnies.

ukunoshima rabbit island japan feral bunnies rabbits

Photo credit: @petenikolic

They can feed them…

ukunoshima rabbit island japan feral bunnies rabbits

Photo credit: @jamaicansoul

ukunoshima rabbit island japan feral bunnies rabbits

Photo credit: @morganleighwillett

Cuddle them…

ukunoshima rabbit island japan feral bunnies rabbits

Photo credit: @bradley.anderson

ukunoshima rabbit island japan feral bunnies rabbits

Photo credit: @lauren.susan.martin

Or just hang out!

ukunoshima rabbit island japan feral bunnies rabbits

Photo credit: @kennnyc88

Even though the island has a dark past…

ukunoshima rabbit island japan feral bunnies rabbits

Photo credit: @keithkeith123

Its bunnies sure have brightened it up!

ukunoshima rabbit island japan feral bunnies rabbits

Photo credit: @tomatojuicetravel

ukunoshima rabbit island japan feral bunnies rabbits

Photo credit: @__ysoserious__

ukunoshima rabbit island japan feral bunnies rabbits

Photo credit: @robynwhaley

h/t: [Hello Giggles, Japan Visitor]

Kelly Richman-Abdou

Kelly Richman-Abdou was a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. An art historian living in Paris, Kelly was born and raised in San Francisco and holds a BA in Art History from the University of San Francisco and an MA in Art and Museum Studies from Georgetown University. When she’s not writing, you can find Kelly wandering around Paris, whether she’s leading a tour (as a guide, she has been interviewed by BBC World News America and France 24) or simply taking a stroll with her husband and two tiny daughters.
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