Islands

Chances are you aren’t familiar with the name Okunoshima, but if someone mentions its nickname, you’re almost certain to know where they’re talking about. Yes, the place I’m talking about is Rabbit Island, so named for the hordes of rabbits that run wild and are the main attraction for this popular tourist destination. Rabbit Island is located in the Inland Sea and is easily accessible from Hiroshima. It’s a good day trip for locals, but a hotel on the island now means it’s easy to stay a little longer if you don’t feel like rushing back to city life right away. The rabbits make this place a fun family outing, but it wasn’t always this way. In fact, the whole island is shrouded in more than a little mystery due to its past. Historical records show that the island was home to a poisonous gas factory owned and operated by the Japanese Imperial Army between 1929 and 1945. The factory produced five different types of gases that were used on the Chinese during this time. Legend has it that the rabbits were used as guinea pigs (well, rabbits actually) to test the effects of the gas. Many people dispute this…