Basic informations about Ōkunoshima island (Rabbit island);
The first thing to explain is that most of the area in the island of Ōkunoshima (Rabbit Island) is designated as a national park.
The basic rules of Japan's national parks include "take your garbage with you," "no collecting of plants and animals," and "no feeding of wild animals.
There are no trash cans in the island of Ōkunoshima. Therefore, please do not leave trash in the island, and please take your trash home with you.
Feeding rabbits living in their natural environment on Ōkunoshima, a national park, is basically prohibited, but by agreement among the local community and other interested parties, feeding rabbits is permitted as a special exception in national parks.
Feeding rabbits in Ōkunoshima is allowed, but it does not mean that you can feed them as you please. There have been various problems caused by unmannered feeding, such as the feeding of rabbits that turned into "garbage" and the sacrifice of rabbits due to the feeding.
There are "rules" for feeding the rabbits in Ōkunoshima, and we ask that you please follow those rules when feeding the rabbits.
Prior notification (permission) to the administrator (regional office of the Ministry of the Environment) is always required to operate a drone in the national park. No drone operations are allowed in national parks without notifying the park administrator. Also, there are areas within each park where drone flights are prohibited, so please be sure to confirm this when contacting the park administrator in advance.
Ōkunoshima island (pronounciation = o-o-ku-no-shi-ma, “Shima” means “island” in Japanese) is located in TAKEHARA city, HIROSHIMA prefecture, JAPAN. This island is famous for "Rabbit Island".
The area of this island is 718784.1 square meters (About 0.7 kilos sq. meter). Circumference of the island is 4.3 kilometers, and the circumference road is about 3 kilometers, it takes about 1 hour by walk to go around the island leisurely. And there is a free pick-up bus from the second pier to KYUKAMURA main lodging building. (The connected bus operates in conformity with the departure and arrival of a ship at the second pier.)
Although this island that belongs to the national park has jurisdicted of the Ministry of the Environment, facilities of the island are operational managed by the juridical foundation which name is KYUKAMURA. (KYŪ-KA-MURA)
This island is famous not only for rabbits but also the war ruins. The military factories was built in secret at the island and had produced poisonous gas from 1929 to 1944. For this reason, the island was deleted from a map in those days.
A part of the produced gas bombs were used in China. On the other hand, remaining gas bombs have buried in the air-raid shelter of the island or dumped in the sea around the island. Therefore it is supposed that arsenic which is raw materials of the poisonous gas thinkable will be still remaining in deep ground of the island.
The war traces such as a power plant, forts (Battery), and storehouses of the poisonous gas are still in existence in the island. The equipment and the tools which were used at the factories are displaying at the poison gas museum.
I mentioned earlier, although the Ministry of Environment has jurisdiction over this island, the administration of facilities and cleaning duties in the island are operated to the foundation called KYUKAMURA.
FACILITES IN THE ISLAND:
● KYŪKAMURA hotel https://www.qkamura.or.jp/en/ohkuno/
● Ōkunoshima Visitor Center
● The 2nd pier ferryboat waiting room
(Pamphlet only)
(These facilities can be used from 8:00 to 17:20, from November to January 08:00-16:40 in general.)
(Partly Japanese style)
● Ōkunoshima Poison Gas Museum (Paid facilities)
● The 1st pier
(Partly Japanese style)
● Observatory
(Western style) Currently unavailable.
● Northern-west coast
(Partly Japanese style)
● Campsite reception
(Waiting room of the second pier and KYUKAMURA Hotel)In addition, because it is a wild rabbit, neither the Ministry of the Environment, which has jurisdiction over the island, nor the KYUKAMURA staffs, which operates and manages the island, give the rabbits food and water. In addition, rabbit food is not sold in the island.
There are several rules to come in contact with the rabbits in the island.
It is posted up on the KYUKAMURA website, inside of the ferry boat, and island, so please be sure to read it.
In addition, in the KYUKAMURA passenger boat have guided in English about how to touch with the rabbits.
Basically, there is no problem if you follow the above rules.
Directly to touch the rabbit within the range not to dislike is fine, but please do not catch or lift it. However, it seems that if the rabbit that do not move no matter where you touch, so please stop touching and leave it alone. That's probably a bad physical condition rabbit.
ABOUT FEEDING:
By the way, the most important thing to keep in mind with this Island Rule is how to feed them.
First of all, feeding wild animals is prohibited in Japan, but as mentioned earlier, feeding rabbits is allowed on this island as a special exception in a national park.
This does not mean that you can feed the rabbits on the island as you please. There are "rules" for feeding.
In these pictures, tourists bring in a large amount of food and say it "for the rabbits" and giving them, but in fact, "dump" a large amount of food.
If the rabbits give an amount of food that they can not eat on the spot, and tourists leave the spot, the enemy crows or wild boars depending on the time zone will come soon afterward, which may harm the rabbits. Therefore give only the amount of food can be eaten on the spotand do not leave with leaving the food.
A tourist put food in the container for drinking water of rabbits.
If such a thing is done ... rabbits can not drink water of this water already.
As feeding rabbits on the road, sometimes occur them to fight and suddenly start running on the road, may come in contact with cars and bicycles passing nearby. so never give food on the road in this island.
This picture is that food that had been scattered in front of a burrow where the baby rabbits are.
To leave the food or to place a water container in front of the burrow are... it means to teach for the natural enemies of rabbits, such as crows and boars, where the baby rabbits are located.
I think it's a tourist's concern to keep the baby rabbits not hungry..., but as a result, the act may lead to the death of the baby rabbits.
This picture is...
The rabbits are given udon (noodle) and octopus-mixed rice.
I think this is a meal for hotel guests in the KYUKAMURA hotel.
If the rabbit eats such food, it will lead to poor health, so please do not give processed food or confectionery definitely.
ABOUT RABBIT'S DRINKING WATER:
Like humans, rabbits also want to drink clean water.
Vegetables can not be kept fresh even if you put them in a water container. It only rots.
If you put the rabbit food in a water container, the water will rot and the rabbits will not be able to drink.
So, be sure to separate the rabbit's drinking water and the food.
In addition, there is no need "bait tray or dish for rabbits" in the island.
If you pour clean water, the rabbits will be delighted as per this picture.
BE CAREFUL OF YOUR FEET:
Please be careful of your feet when you are in contact with the rabbits or when you try to shoot with them.
When the photographer takes a step back to fit the subject in the focus ... When the people who will be a subject moves a little to pose ... Be sure to check if there is a rabbit at your feet. Increasingly, people have inadvertently stepped on the rabbit's front and hind legs without noticing the rabbit at under your feet.
Rabbit bones are weak, it's fairly easy to break. If bones breaks, it will be difficult to live after that, and it is not uncommon for a rabbit to die in a short period of time.
CAUTIONS WHEN USING RENTAL BICYCLE OR BRING YOUR BICYCLE IN THE ISLAND:
The rule of bicycle use that you should know at least is as written in the picture.
Even if you walk slowly on the island, you can go around in about an hour, and on this island, which is said to have about 1000 rabbits, it is recommended that you to come in contact with various rabbits while slowly walking around.
However, the accident between the bicycle and the rabbit does not stop.
The main reason is probably that tourists who use bicycles do not understand the ecology of the island's rabbits.
In our usual life, do you have anything such coming close from animals towards the bicycle? No, I think it won't usual.
On this island, the rabbits may come close to the bicycle and sometimes jump out in front of the bicycle.
If knowing in advance that there is such a situation, everyone will run the bicycle at a low speed in the island.
Otherwise:
This child has broken bones on his forefoot and bent toes.
Since this case has affected even the rabbit's bones, it can probably be assumed that it was run over by a bicycle.
CAUTIONS WHILE WALKING IN THE ISLAND:
This is sometimes happen the case also for who keep going to the island, but sometimes we don't notice the approach of the rabbit, and sometimes step on their legs with our shoes.
We also pay attention to the surrounding rabbits, but sometimes that happens... so if you visit with more than one, you should call out about the rabbits behind each other and avoid accidents.
This is the forefoot of this rabbit, but the nail points in a strange direction.
However, this is not a bicycle, and it is thought that it is probably a tourist had steped on the rabbit's forefoot with his shoes because he moved without being aware of a rabbit approaching from behind.
In case of this child also may not be a bicycle, but is probably hugged by a tourist, and it is presumed that this baby rabbit had fallen from a slightly higher position due to violent action for refusing hug and fractured his hind legs.
BEWEAR OF THE WILD BOAR:
There are wild boars in the island.
If you meet a wild boar, leave the place quietly. Unless you will surprised or driven away it, it won't attack you basically.
IN THE EVENT OF A MAJOR EARTHQUAKE:
After the shaking stops, move to a safe place away from cliffs and the sea, and contact a hotel on the island and evacuate according to the hotel's instructions.
