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| Me, the rabbit whisperer |
Hello friends! Since I have a bit of time over the next couple of days due to preparations for my first school festival, I decided it would be a good time to finally update this blog again!
One of the things I was most excited to do in Japan was visit Rabbit Island, or 大久野島 (Okunoshima). Prior to our departure, the Toronto JETs were invited to a paint/printmaking activity night. I decided to make a print of 大久野島, and it turned out pretty well despite only having something like 2 hours from start to finish!
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| My finished print |
My parents came to visit Japan in May, so I tagged along with them on the weekends. When we went to Hiroshima, I made sure that we visited Rabbit Island.
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| Signs in the ground that give directions from the nearest station to the ferry to take you to Rabbit Island |
Rabbit Island is not in Hiroshima city, so it would be best planning your trip as a whole-day event. My family and I took the shinkansen since they had JR Passes (since I live in Japan, I am not eligible for the JR Pass :( ). Walking from the nearest station to the ferry terminal was very easy, especially thanks to these cute signs in the pavement! The ferry runs around every hour until about 5, so make sure to check times before you visit!
NOTE: There is no food for the rabbits on the island!!
I didn't actually know this until my friends mentioned it on a Facebook status of mine. I ran to a Family Mart and grabbed a half head of lettuce and a bag of carrots, and had about five minutes to spare to catch the ferry! I would have preferred to have something a little better for the rabbits (like hay) but at least they love lettuce and carrots! EDIT: The website seems to confirm that there is , in fact, food sold at Tadanoumi Port: http://rabbit-island.info/en/ (scroll down to Commemorative Stamp). Thanks for the info, Stacy! I actually left from a different port (Mihara) where I was told there was no food. You should still considering bringing hay and fresh veggies though!
My family and I decided to walk around the island. It only took a few hours and it was really lovely. The further you got from the docks, the more rabbits wanted food and would sometimes even chase you for some! The forest paths are lush, and there's even a beach at one end of the island.
As we went around the island, I was pleasantly surprised to see that some people had been leaving little piles of hay for the rabbits to eat. Rabbits, at least domestic ones, require a lot of hay to stay healthy! Leafy greens and other fruits and veggies should be given more sparingly. I doubt the rabbits on the island mind having too much of the good stuff (carrots) but I'm glad someone was being extra considerate of the rabbits!
Prior to the rabbits taking over, the island was home to a testing facility for chemical weapons. These factories were in operations from the late 1920s through World War 2. You can see some of the decrepit buildings and containers that remain on the island, as well as a Poison Gas Museum. As you make your way around the island, there are some plaques with information in Japanese and English, where you can read a little bit about the history of the island and each of the particular buildings.
I was worried about the rabbits attacking each other, but they were pretty good for the most part! You could see some rabbits had bites and scratches that looked like they were from other rabbits, but for the most part the rabbits seemed healthy and energetic! I tried hard to feed the young rabbits since the older rabbits were much more aggressive, but the young rabbits were usually (understandably) a lot more cautious. Guests are given an information sheet before you board the ferry that gives a rundown of the rules. You are asked to feed rabbits off to the side of the road, since they can become distracted and may be injured by passing bicycles and cars while they're eating. You are also asked to stay while the rabbits finish the food you gave them, as there are birds and boars that will attack the rabbits for the food! Another thing they ask is that guests keep an eye on the water bowls around the island, and fill them if they are empty. There are very little fresh water sources for the rabbits on the island, so they rely on these water bowls! I found myself checking each one I passed (and there were a lot!) but they were always full, probably thanks to everyone being on the lookout.
Now, please enjoy this small photo dump:
Even without the rabbits, it was a really beautiful island with an interesting history. If you love rabbits, I would definitely recommend stuffing your bag full of rabbit-friendly foods and heading over to Rabbit Island!
