1/11/26 "Living robustly amidst nature"—this is a phrase frequently seen on social media used to describe the rabbits of Okunoshima Island. However, in reality, these rabbits—who receive no genuine care or management—are merely tragic creatures. Buffeted by their own natural instincts and forced to endure harsh weather conditions, they exist solely to be consumed as tourist attractions. Anyone who has ever kept rabbits will recognize the tell-tale signs: rabbits with vacant,

rabbit got his nose bitten by other rabbit 12/31/25 One big factor to injuries and sickness is FIGHTS AMONG RABBITS. These rabbits are left on the island totally unmanaged and they form their own territories. Consequently, they constantly fight inside/outside their territories. They fought when there were 1000 rabbits 10 years ago and even when there are only 300 left today, they still fight. Attacked rabbits suffer from severe injuries and die from infection or predator atta

baby rabbit on the verge of death due to with gastric stasis 12/18/25 Okunoshima—an island that acts in direct opposition to the spirit of animal welfare. Marketed as a place teeming with rabbits, it has become a tourist destination that any rabbit lover would undoubtedly dream of visiting. But what is the reality behind the hype? The rabbits run freely across the island; upon spotting a human, they approach just like dogs, begging for food. This behavior—so distinct from th

Pururu (Cheeky) chan had Periapical abscess, lung abscess, jaw bone dissolved. Mahiro had Traumatic Suppurative Periarthritis Kiki had neck and jawbone shattered leaving him with malocclusion that needs periodic dental treatment. 12/12/25 Do not forget Ohkunoshima is a tourist spot at the expense for lives of rabbits. Medical conditions of rabbits on Ohkunoshima are frequently overlooked. Pururu (Cheeky)(rescued in Sept 24) had a balloon like lump on her cheek. Initially,

baby rabbit immobilized due to GI stasis 11/24/25 If the Ministry of the Environment truly believes that simply leaving the rabbits "to nature"—as they put it—while tourists interact with them out of good intentions, will result in a smooth flow of tourism revenue for Takehara City, then they are engaging in a misguided, amateurish form of animal-based tourism. Nowhere else can you find a place where you can approach such adorable rabbits without any fences or barriers, and f

Severe nasal infection prevents him from eating Rabbit could barely breathe 10/30/25 The rabbits of Okunoshima Island are designated by the Ministry of the Environment as "Priority Invasive Alien Species for Control" on its list of invasive species that pose a risk to ecosystems. Given that domestic rabbits were abandoned on the island decades ago, it is perhaps not surprising that they are treated as "invasive alien species." Even when rabbits on the island are sick or injur

almost paralyzed waist down injured rabbit will keep distance from healthy rabbits 10/21/25 In summer of 2022, a charcoal gray rabbit was called Garigari (means extremely skinny). She lived in pier 2 of Ohkunoshima where visitors parked their cars. No one knows how she got injured. Some say she was run over by a car being parked or bicycle. Her hips and hind leg were severely damaged. Her back bone was warped and she appeared to drag her entire body sideways when she moved. L

Not a single yen from tourism goes to Rabbits on Ohkunoshima Who is responsible for these rabbits? 10/15/25 Okunoshima. It is an island that once housed a poison gas factory during World War II; however, it has since become a small island inhabited by a multitude of rabbits—descendants of those abandoned there years ago, who subsequently bred unchecked over many generations. For a long time, it remained a "hidden gem"—an island known only to a select few as a home for rabbits

We called her "fly girl" as this female rabbit had flies constantly flying all around her You could tell she was extremely sick She was the sweetest rabbit I ever met on Ohkunoshima 10/11/25 There used to be a sick female rabbit at pier 2 of Ohkunoshima back in summer of 2022. We used to call her Fly Girl. She had the black rabbit as her partner but flies were constantly flying all over her body. We suspected she had issues with her intestines. She was abnormally underweight

No one knew how sick Oreo (Clara chan) was Nasal and middle ear osteolysis, high probability of hearing loss, missing molars, severe Pasteurellosis. 9/25/25 I first laid eyes on Oreo around late February 2024. She was a fluffy black-and-white rabbit. She was likely born near the building situated on the ocean side of the swimming pool. I often saw her darting back and forth from the vicinity of the wire fence toward the open plaza. What on earth is that? As a baby, Oreo look

Fracture of the right foreleg; severe pneumonia; severe pasteurellosis; inflammation of the external and middle ear; laceration of the left ear caused by a sharp object He had to be hospitalized for one month to treat his conditions 9/17/25 Criticism—specifically the accusation that we are "tearing families apart"—is sometimes leveled against our efforts to rescue injured and ailing rabbits on Okunoshima Island. However, once a rabbit sustains an injury, it becomes so profoun

Sora with multiple medical issue before resuce 800g Kuran rescued for leg injury but actually had chronic hepatitis and pulmonary edema. She suddenly passed away after rescue. a rabbit with left leg injury 9/16/25 “Living Freely, Carefree, and Happily” Tourists often find it adorable—and exciting—to see rabbits rushing toward them, devouring the food offered to them with such gusto, and this leaves them feeling that they want to return to visit again. However, the tourists wh

Ran chan on the island before rescue 4/14/25 Rabbits run up to you. That behavior is exactly what entices people to keep coming back to Ohkunoshima. But, if you really think about this, they run up to you simply because they are hungry, not that they love you. I asked rabbit owners who commute to this island a question many times. Why do you come to this island? You already own rabbits(s) at home? They told me, these rabbits are special. They make me feel they need me. They h

baby rabbit with broken foot adult rabbit with swollen foot 3/3/25 What changed in the last 8 months since Ran chan was rescued? Tourists’ behavior did not change. Nothing changed in the last 12 years. They feed raw vegetables and make them sick. They chase rabbits, step on them causing injuries. All these rabbits ultimately died. What changed is behavior by specific people who regularly visit this island, called “usa katsu” (People involved in caring for rabbits) Slanders b

1/2/25 There are folks who strongly believe in not interfering with life of wild animals because they believe interference may result in disruption in ecosystem. These people do not feed wild life and do not rescue wild animals. That is the idea of ‘let the nature be nature’. However, most people who come to Ohkunoshima don’t fit in this category. They provide water and food, which clearly indicates they deeply care about them. These rabbits are offspring of house rabbits dum

Visi chan getting emergency care Visi chan suffering from unknown condition on the island 9/27/24 My older brother was a doctor. While on duty, he contracted COVID-19 through an in-hospital infection, developed pulmonary fibrosis, and passed away after a year-long battle with the illness. This disease is incurable, and the prognosis for survival is extremely short. Even with the aid of machines to boost his oxygen levels, he told me—while he was still able to speak—that he co

a rabbit with leg injury 9/12/24 Many tourists visit Ohkunoshima (rabbit island) because of rabbits. The number of visitors often exceed the number of rabbits on weekends and holidays. As a result, many rabbits suffer from injuries and sickness but no place to treat these rabbits on the island. After Ranpu chan(rabbit with huge tumor on the ear) was rescued from island, we’d like to continue to save rabbits that need help. Currently, rabbits are not allowed to come back to is

6/14/24 The day will eventually come when there are no longer any rabbits left on Okunoshima. This will not be due to wild boars, crows, hawks or rats. It will be because of humans. Humans are the root cause. Of course, these animals do prey on the rabbits. However, the reason they are able to prey on them is that humans feed the rabbits—especially the young ones—excessive amounts of raw vegetables; this causes gas to build up in their stomachs, leaving them immobilized by pa

Matsuzaka saying goodbye to his friend Matsuzaka fathered many rabbits on the island 9/25/23 It has been 10 years since we started to come to Okunoshma. I still can not forget how excited I was to see many rabbits run up to me during our first visit to this island. I just could not realize how things could deteriorate this bad in 10 years. People poking rabbit nests with tree branches. People climbing walls where rabbit nests are and destroying them potentially killing babies

Rabbit dying of heat stroke on Ohkunoshima 9/9/23 This was one of the rabbits who suffered from heat stroke and passed away less than 4 hours after she was found. These rabbits will face abnormally hot summer this year, something they never experienced before. Many will most likely to die. If you want to help them, please visit the island and help to provide water for them. If you see a rabbit struggling from heat stroke, place cold towel inside ear and/or over their body.