Japan’s Rabbit Island Introducing Visitor Tax To Preserve Wartime History And Protect Cute Residents: Latest Updates On What You Need To Know

Published on August 30, 2025

In 2028, Japan’s Okunoshima Island, amended known arsenic Rabbit Island, will instrumentality a visitor tax aimed astatine preserving nan island’s wartime history and maintaining its charming rabbit population. The taxation will besides thief protect lesser-known humanities sites, including a concealed poison state accumulation facility.

Situated successful Hiroshima Prefecture, nan land has gained immoderate notoriety owed to nan precocious organization of chaotic rabbits, pinch hundreds of long-eared residents frolicking among nan guests. Although rabbits are nan superior attraction, Okunoshima besides has a sinister history. The land hosted a concealed chemic weapons manufacturing installation during nan Second World War.

Despite its size (just 0.7 quadrate kilometers), Okunoshima has go a awesome tourer destination. In 2024, nan land saw much than 195,000 visitors, pinch galore coming for nan tiny rabbits. However, Takehara City, which governs nan island, has decided to instrumentality a taxation for those visiting nan land successful bid to money its upkeep and protect its humanities sites. This determination comes aft nan increasing number of visitors each year.

What is nan Visitor Tax for?

The tax, group to statesman successful 2028, will beryllium utilized for various purposes. One superior purpose is to amended nan infrastructure for visitors who travel to interact pinch nan rabbits, specified arsenic better discarded disposal systems and much reliable water supplies. However, a important information of nan costs will spell toward preserving humanities landmarks that fewer group cognize astir earlier visiting.

Such sites are nan Poison Gas Museum which narrates nan communicative of nan islands sinister wartime past, and nan remnants of nan chemic weapons mill that produced mustard state and tear gas. In addition, costs will besides assistance successful nan preservation of artillery positions and different neglected wartime structures.

According to local authorities, this taxation intends to equilibrium nan economical use of tourism pinch nan costs of maintaining nan island. A taxation would guarantee nan continued endurance of some nan rabbits and nan humanities bequest tied to Okunoshima.

Why Introduce a Visitor Tax?

The determination to present a visitor tax is portion of a increasing inclination crossed Japan, wherever celebrated tourer destinations are progressively looking for ways to negociate nan influx of visitors. For instance, Miyajima Island, besides successful Hiroshima Prefecture, charges a mini interest for entree to definite areas. Similarly, Taketomi Town successful Okinawa plans to present a taxation for visitors to Iriomote Island.

Feedback from locals regarding nan visitant taxation is mostly favorable. From nan remarks gathered, it seems nan interest will not discourage tourists. A number of residents expect that nan taxation will bolster nan system of nan land and create employment opportunities for locals. Some residents are pleased pinch nan conception that nan money will beryllium utilized to sphere nan island’s unsocial places of interest.

The Dark History of Okunoshima Island

Okunoshima Island has a tragic past hidden beneath its serene, rabbit-filled landscape. In nan years earlier World War II, Japan secretly built a chemical weapons facility connected nan island, successful usurpation of nan Geneva Protocol that banned nan usage of chemic weapons.

From 1929 to 1945, nan land served arsenic a covert retention tract for an insular mill that manufactured mustard state and different lethal chemicals. The creation and cognition of nan mill was kept concealed to nan constituent of nan region being omitted from maps. Only aft nan surrender of Japan did nan Allied forces dispose of nan perilous chemicals, but nan remnants of this concealed warfare task stubbornly linger.

While nan rabbits person go synonymous pinch nan land today, immoderate judge they whitethorn beryllium descendants of animals utilized successful chemical tests. Another mentation is that a section edifice head released eight rabbits connected nan land successful nan 1970s, and they subsequently multiplied. Either way, nan rabbits’ beingness adds a unsocial charm to nan land today, pinch galore visitors interacting pinch them.

Preserving Okunoshima’s Wartime Legacy

The Poison Gas Museum, located connected nan island, plays a important domiciled successful educating visitors astir nan darker chapter of Okunoshima’s history. It is 1 of nan fewer museums successful Japan that tells nan communicative of nan country’s chemic weapons manufacturing efforts.

The museum, arsenic good arsenic different places connected to nan island’s history during nan war, will summation from nan money collected done nan visitant tax. The depository and nan sites will beryllium improved to assistance successful nan tourer belief and to support these places for nan adjacent generations.

In summation to nan museum, nan island’s abandoned powerfulness plant and various artillery positions will beryllium preserved and maintained. The island’s heavy relationship to Japan’s wartime past and its domiciled successful chemic warfare makes it an important tract for those willing successful learning astir nan darker aspects of history.

What’s Next for Okunoshima Island?

The island’s early looks promising pinch nan preamble of this caller tax. By backing some nan preservation of its historical legacy and its thriving rabbit population, Okunoshima tin proceed to beryllium a popular destination while respecting its tragic past.

With nan conclusion of nan visitant taxation discussion, nan land is going to beryllium safeguarded from losing its unsocial taste and humanities assets while still remaining unfastened to tourists. The further gross will alteration nan sustainable maturation of Okunoshima arsenic a tourer destination, benefitting residents and visitors alike.