Okunoshima- Poison Gas and Bunnies

There are thousands of islands in the Inland Sea, each with their own unique features and attractions. Yet I doubt there are any stranger than Okunoshima. Between 1928 and 1945 Okunoshima was used to produce several kilotons of mustard gas and other posion-gases for use in the Pacific War, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths. For maximum secrecy, the island was erased from maps, while workers on the island had little training and poor equipment, resulting in horrific injuries. Today the buildings deserted after the end of the war remain as they once were, shards of glass still hanging in the windowframes. Animals were used in the gas tests, but when the island was deserted in 1945 the remaining rabbits were set loose. And they bred like, well, rabbits. So today these small victims of war have claimed the island for themselves, behaving like abandoned pets, and gratefully receiving all the carrot and lettuce visitors have to offer. They certainly enjoyed the 6 carrots we brought along...





Kawaii!







Rabbit Gropes Miki-chan








Old Lady Feeds Over-Enthusiastic Rabbits






Rabbit Eats One of Steve's Carrots







...que More Carrot Eating







Everyone Pause For A Photo







No Its A Shoe, Not A Carrot






Autumn Leaves







Gas Tanks From Another Era







Just Around The Corner







Abandoned Warehouse (which we snuck into at risk of death from falling things)






Good Place For A Date? Hmmm








Preserved In Time and Space







Ending On A Fluffy Note




After leaving Okunoshima we stopped in Onomichi for some Onomichi ramen on the way back to Okayama. We went to a ramen shop I'd been to about 7 months previously on a day trip, and the owner remembered me! A nice end to our trip.