From 1929 to '45 the army produced toxic gas here: maps left the island blank.
Today about 500 wild rabbits live freely here, descended from eight animals released by a local school in 1971, and the island draws about 200,000 visitors a year. A museum run by the municipality of Takehara tells the story of the poison gas factory that operated here in secret.
A small island in the Seto Inland Sea, administered by Takehara and reached by ferry from Tadanoumi. From 1929 to 1945 the Imperial Japanese Army secretly produced chemical weapons here (blister, tear, blood and vomiting agents) for use in war; the few resident families were evacuated and the island disappeared from the public maps of the time, left blank.
ℹ️ Ferry from Tadanoumi, about 15 minutes. You can explore the island freely on foot or by bicycle (hire at the port). The poison gas museum has its own opening hours. On the island: the Kyūkamura Ōkunoshima resort (65 rooms), a campsite, a beach and a swimming pool.
🚉 Okunoshima Pier 2 · 11 min walk
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