Month: June 2014

Delightfully tacky, yet unrefined

Delightfully tacky, yet unrefined

This past Saturday before my parents arrived I did some more shopping in Tokyo. I stopped by my favorite burger restaurant for lunch and then picked up some dress shirts. I haven’t purchased a lot in Japan but my suitcase was fairly full when I came over – hopefully everything…

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

One of the top sites to see in Hiroshima is the Peace Memorial Museum. As an American, it was a very interesting experience. First, the logistics. It’s open most days from 8:30 am until 6:00 pm, which is somewhat surprising since most places in Japan…

Okunoshima – the bunny island

Okunoshima – the bunny island

While in Hiroshima, I did a couple side trips. My first stop was to Ōkunoshima, an island about an hour west of Hiroshima.

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From the outside, there isn’t anything remarkable about Ōkunoshima. But after spending a few minutes on the island, you can see why it’s so popular. It’s covered in rabbits.

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Looking back over my pictures, I didn’t take as many as I thought I did, so here’s a frame from a YouTube video.

I didn’t see quite this many, but it was probably because I went during a busy time and they were all spread out. I bought some rabbit food for 100 yen at the nearby shop and spent the next thirty minutes feeding and taking pictures of rabbits.

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I also spent some time exploring the island. Before the rabbits showed up, this island had a very different purpose. During World War II Japan used the island to produce poison gas for the chemical warfare that was carried out in China. Most of the buildings were destroyed but the history is displayed in a small museum (no pictures allowed inside).

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Source: dearmrecho on Flickr

I also climbed to the highest point on the island which provided a great view on such a clear day. This island is located within the Seto Inland Sea National Park and it was a lot more scenic than I was expecting. If it was a bit warmer I would have gone swimming – the water looked surprisingly clear.

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I wouldn’t say that Ōkunoshima is a must-do when visiting Hiroshima, but I had a free morning so I figured I’d make the most of it. Between the monkeys, penguins, deer, and bunnies, I think I’m all set for animals during the rest of my time in Japan.

27 days left

27 days left

Time has passed quickly since my trip over Golden Week. From a personal level, it’s been a fun past month. My parents are visiting me in Japan this upcoming Sunday (June 8th) and will be spending two weeks in Japan. I’ll get to spend the weekend…