Rabbit Island
Police arrest man who apparently traveled half-way across the country to kill a rabbit with his foot.
People all over the world have heard of Okunoshima, popularly known as “Rabbit Island.” It’s a tiny island off the coast of Hiroshima overflowing with adorable little bunnies who want nothing more than to smother you with love and eat your food.
But on our latest trip to Okunoshima, we wanted to go one step further: we wanted to be covered in as many fluffy bunnies as humanly possible. And what better way to do that than by becoming a bunny ourselves? Read on to see more of our pink, furry excursion.
Remember Okunoshima, the tiny Japanese island that’s home to hundreds of freely hopping bunnies? Well one intrepid rabbit lover recently paid the place a visit, not just to see its furry masters with his own eyes, but to film himself being offered up to the rabbits for our viewing pleasure.
It’s like he’s being set upon by a ravenous herd of tiny, fluffy zombies…
In some ways, the island of Okunoshima, in western Japan’s Setonaikai Inland Sea, seems like a terrible vacation spot. It’s already in an out-of-the-way region of the country, and with no connecting bridges, the only way to get there is by boat.
Then there’s its dark past. During the 1920s, ‘30s, and early ‘40s, Okunoshima was the site of a secret chemical weapons lab for the Japanese Imperial Army. The clandestine work being carried out there earned it the sinister nicknames Poison Gas Island and The Island Erased from the Maps.
Happily, the postwar years have seen a return to more peaceful, benign activities on Okunoshima. As a matter of fact, in the last few years it’s become one of the area’s most beloved tourist destinations, and the reason why is easy to see from the other name Okunoshima is called by, Rabbit Island.
Everyone loves rabbits! With their long ears, adorable noses, cute plump bodies, and prophetic abilities, they’re almost as loveable as penguins or kittens!
And fortunately for all you rabbit lovers out there, a veritable rabbit paradise exists in the form of Ōkunoshima, an island just 3.4 kilometers (about 2.1 miles) off the coast of Japan’s Hiroshima Prefecture! Here hundreds of wild bunnies romp freely and openly around the island–happy to bound up to humans for food. You don’t know cute until you’ve seen a literal “rabbit stampede!”
MOST POPULAR
Now
New Travelling Bento pouches turn your luggage into a Japanese lunch box
Family Mart unveils new Japanese bread that elevates convenience store food to mocchiri levels
McDonald’s and Gundam team up for customized anime mecha and fried chicken sandwiches[Video]
Peanuts and Coke becomes a viral hit in Japan, but is it a trend worth joining?
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Does a long line mean a sweeter deal? We compare two sweets from a Hokkaido food fair【Taste test】
Häagen-Dazs releases new Green Tea sandwich in Japan for a limited time
Foreign man arrested for walking on Shinkansen tracks, claims he was on the run from yakuza
New 7-Eleven sandwich goes viral in Japan, but is it everything it’s cracked up to be?
Japanese kindness restores our faith in humanity after a highway bus accident in Tokyo
Weekly
- Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Starbucks Japan closing only Shinkansen platform branch for popularity-triggered renovations
Two food hacks take Japan’s convenience store fried chicken to amazing new sandwich heights
You can assemble a well-balanced team of Pokémon, them eat them, thanks to Japanese cake chain
Tokyo turns its phone booths into free Wi-Fi hotspots, and here’s how to use them
Fading Tokyo – Searching for signs of the Showa era as local neighborhoods evolve[Photos]
Tokyo teahouse serves up a sakura matcha dessert you won’t find anywhere else
7-Eleven Japan’s new baked-in-store sweet treat is only available in three parts of the country
Man bites woman at cherry blossom park in Japan, dies shortly after
Monthly
- Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
- Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Yearly
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Does a long line mean a sweeter deal? We compare two sweets from a Hokkaido food fair【Taste test】
Häagen-Dazs releases new Green Tea sandwich in Japan for a limited time
Foreign man arrested for walking on Shinkansen tracks, claims he was on the run from yakuza
New 7-Eleven sandwich goes viral in Japan, but is it everything it’s cracked up to be?
Japanese kindness restores our faith in humanity after a highway bus accident in Tokyo
Umamusume food and drinks dash into real world at Family Mart convenience stores[Taste test]
Häagen-Dazs Japan releases new ASMR ice cream called “Rocky Crunchy!”
New Japanese KitKats come in sakura flavour, with poetic symbolism for success
Häagen-Dazs Japan releases Matcha Creme Brulee ice cream for a limited time
Old Japanese man fends off bear attack with his impressive karate skills
Muji cake mania! Which of the 23 flavors of cake they sell are the best?
Kodomo no Omocha creator draws new manga pages for an unexpected new home
Katawa Shoujo visual novel gets Japanese release… Wait, it wasn’t originally in Japanese?!
KitKat Mcflurry comes to McDonald’s Japan with commercial starring Japanese idol
-
