Rabbit Island Okunoshima, Hiroshima: A Day Trip

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★ 8:30 - 9:00 Breakfast at Sheraton Grand Hiroshima Hotel

The hotel serves breakfast, so we recommend eating there before heading out. It's convenient, saves time, and there's no need to go looking for somewhere outside. Fill up, and you'll be ready to start exploring right away!

Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/5RHUN6NtuTx5LgN2A

★ 9:20 - 11:00 Travel to Tadanoumi Station

・Access: Walk from the hotel to Hiroshima Bus Center, 2 minutes (about 180 meters). Take the "Kaguya-hime" Express Bus at 9:28, direct to Tadanoumi (about 1 hour 30 minutes).

・Fare: ¥1,600

・MAP: https://maps.app.goo.gl/gKfbjdCHDeHWa1ac9

★ 11:05 - 11:30 Buy rabbit food and ferry tickets at Gateway to Rabbit Island

Before boarding, stop by Gateway to Rabbit Island to buy tickets. It's a cute souvenir shop and cafe right next to the pier, with an easy-to-use ticket vending machine inside. For this trip we'll take the 12:00 ferry. We recommend bringing cash.

And don't forget to buy rabbit food before you board, because it isn't sold on the island!

・Access: Walk from Tadanoumi Station to Gateway to Rabbit Island, 4 minutes (about 350 meters)

・Hours: Open daily 7:00 - 19:30

・Cost: Round-trip ferry ticket, adults ¥720 / children ¥360

・MAP: https://maps.app.goo.gl/gbL6hwwT877iQVR78

★ 12:00 - 12:15 Take the ferry to Okunoshima, Rabbit Island

The ferry ride to Rabbit Island takes just 15 minutes.

・Access: The ferry pier is across from Gateway to Rabbit Island, and the boat arrives at pier 2.

・MAP: https://maps.app.goo.gl/W8ZyinaT9GASeLaD9

★ 12:30 - 12:45 Listen to nature with the Rabbit Ear Sound Collector

The Rabbit Ear Sound Collector is a stainless steel listening device shaped like four giant rabbit ears. Just put your head inside to listen, and you'll hear the waves, wind, and birds more clearly, as if you had real rabbit ears.

This is also a popular photo spot, with a camera stand positioned so your photo looks like you're wearing the rabbit ears. It's near the visitor center, along the way to the lighthouse.

・Access: Walk from the sound collector to Okunoshima Beach, 9 minutes (about 700 meters)

・MAP: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Pmmm9MGzuALa1aRK6

★ 12:50 - 13:30 Enjoy the breeze at Okunoshima Beach

A short walk further brings you to Okunoshima Beach, also called "Rabbit Island Beach." It's a small beach with a great atmosphere, clear water, white sand, and trees all around, giving it the feel of a tropical resort. What makes it special is that rabbits hop freely across the sand, giving it a charm you won't find at an ordinary beach.

The beach is usually open for swimming in summer, roughly mid-July to late August, and the sea is fairly calm.

Note: Takehara City says the beach is not open for swimming in the 2026 season. You can still walk on the sand and enjoy the view, but there is no swimming area or beach service. Please check the latest information before you go.

If you want to feed the rabbits, avoid putting food straight onto the sand — it's safer for them!

・Access: Walk from the sound collector to Okunoshima Beach, 3 minutes (about 220 meters)

・MAP: https://maps.app.goo.gl/RbEriUFhsibNqT5R6

★ 13:40 - 14:30 Lunch at Usanchu Cafe

Next up is a cute cafe inside the Kyukamura Ohkunoshima hotel on Rabbit Island, a popular place to rest after a long walk spent feeding the rabbits.

The must-try item is the "rabbit poop" soft-serve, vanilla ice cream topped with round chocolate balls, so cute you'll want to photograph it before eating. There's also Setouchi lemon soft-serve, coffee, and food items such as fried squid, curry, and udon.

With its simple Japanese-style decor and plenty of seating, the cafe is a warm, comfortable spot to recharge before you continue exploring.

・Access: Walk from Okunoshima Beach to Usanchu Cafe, 9 minutes (about 650 meters)

・Hours: Open daily 10:00 - 18:00

・Prices: ¥400 - 2,000

・MAP: https://maps.app.goo.gl/TJ8pLCAi4AHVNEh87

★ 14:35 - 15:20 Visit the Okunoshima Poison Gas Museum

The Poison Gas Museum reveals another side of Okunoshima that many visitors never hear about. From 1929 to 1945, the Japanese military used the island as a secret base to produce poison gas during the war, and it was even removed from maps to keep it secret.

The museum opened in 1988 to share the truth of the past and serve as a reminder of the horrors of chemical weapons. Exhibits include gas production equipment, protective chemical suits, documents, photos, and information on the health effects suffered by the workers.

・Access: Walk from Usanchu Cafe to the Poison Gas Museum, 3 minutes (about 240 meters)

・Hours: Open daily 9:00 - 16:00

・Admission: Adults ¥150 / free for ages 19 and under

・MAP: https://maps.app.goo.gl/VjG678Hxm6JQbzfr9

★ 15:35 - 15:50 Explore the Power Plant Ruins

The old power plant ruins are another Okunoshima landmark, quietly mysterious and full of history. During the war, this power plant generated electricity for the poison gas factory and military base, before later being used as a U.S. munitions storage site. Traces of the letters "MAG2" can still be seen on the building today.

The quiet three-story concrete building stands in striking contrast to the rabbits playing around it. Note that you can only view and photograph this area from the outside.

・Access: Walk from the Poison Gas Museum to the Power Plant Ruins, 11 minutes (about 850 meters)

・Hours: 24 hours

・MAP: https://maps.app.goo.gl/pnibHwhgsnnxC65n8

★ 16:00 - 16:20 Take the ferry back to Tadanoumi

・Access: Walk from the Power Plant Ruins to pier 2, 3 minutes (about 210 meters), then take the ferry to Tadanoumi at 16:06.

・MAP: https://maps.app.goo.gl/zrvQyc9QWVbZMpWE7

★ 17:20 - 18:00 Walk around Takehara Old Town (Takehara)

Takehara Old Town in Hiroshima Prefecture is a charming district nicknamed "Little Kyoto" for beautifully preserving the atmosphere of Edo-period Japan. The town once thrived on salt and sake production, so you'll find old merchant houses, sake breweries, and ancient temples along the way. It's also registered as an important cultural preservation district in Japan.

Two must-sees are the Matsusaka family house, a beautiful old building whose heart-shaped window is a popular photo spot, and Saiho-ji Temple, set on a hill. Climb up for a sweeping view over the old town's rooftops and the Seto Inland Sea.

・Access: Walk from the pier to Tadanoumi Station, 5 minutes (about 350 meters). Take the Kure Line local train bound for Hiro to Takehara Station, then walk to Takehara Old Town, 14 minutes (about 1 kilometer).

・Fare: ¥200

・Hours: 24 hours

・MAP: https://maps.app.goo.gl/3jXDDmjcDypKK8kB9

★ 19:45 - 20:50 Dinner at Takotsubo

End the day with dinner at a Japanese restaurant that has been open for almost 140 years and holds one Michelin star. It's known for fresh seafood from the Setouchi area, and the nostalgic interior feels like a step back into old Japan.

The highlight is the chef's omakase course, with about 20 carefully selected dishes, including simmered fish, grilled fish, and a variety of sashimi. The sardine dish in particular is so fresh and tender it practically melts in your mouth. Anyone who loves authentic Japanese cuisine should try it at least once!

Book a seat at https://jpneazy.com/restaurants/147?host=ej4b

・Access: Walk from Takehara Old Town to the Takehara Station bus stop, 14 minutes (about 1 kilometer). Take the "Kaguya-hime" Express Bus at 18:21, direct to Hiroshima Station (about 1 hour 7 minutes). Then take bus route 24 to the Hatchobori stop and walk to Takotsubo, 2 minutes (about 200 meters).

・Fare: ¥1,640

・Hours: 18:00 - 22:00 (closed Wednesdays)

・Prices: Courses start at ¥15,000

・MAP: https://maps.app.goo.gl/FmMkh6NVFReFKZQLA

★ 20:55 - 22:00 Shopping at Don Quijote, Hiroshima Hatchobori branch

If you're visiting Hiroshima and want a one-stop shop, drop by Don Quijote in Hatchobori. It's open until 5 a.m., great for late-night shoppers, with everything from souvenirs and snacks to cosmetics and brand-name goods.

Click for a special Don Quijote discount coupon https://www.talonjapan.com/coupon/60977/

・Access: Walk from Takotsubo to Don Quijote, 4 minutes (about 400 meters)

・Hours: Open daily 10:00 - 5:00

・MAP: https://maps.app.goo.gl/n4RZsge6vtjc2jgG9

★ 22:30 Return to Sheraton Grand Hiroshima Hotel

・Access: Walk from Don Quijote to Hatchobori Station tram stop, 5 minutes (about 350 meters). Take the Hiroden tram No. 2 or No. 6 to Hiroshima Station, then walk to the hotel, 6 minutes (450 meters).

・Fare: ¥240

・Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/u8R4nDwBiHAFn4zJ8

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Cost Summary (approximate price per person)

Accommodation : ¥24,000 / night

Food : ¥17,000

Transport : ¥4,400

Admission : ¥150

Total ：¥45,550