Bringing Global Rabbit Care Standards to Japan
Based on 30 years of rabbit-keeping experience in Japan and the US, we deliver rabbit care information in Japanese to protect the health and happiness of rabbits.
BunnyCareJP
House Rabbit Society (HRS)
International Partnership
BunnyCare JP is listed on the House Rabbit Society (HRS) official website as an International Partner.
Okunoshima “Rabbit Island”
The Animal Welfare Crisis Behind the Tourist Attraction
公開日：2026年4月15日 更新日 2026年８月25日
Okunoshima, located in Takehara, Hiroshima Japan, attracts visitors from around the world as Japan’s famous “Rabbit Island.” Social media is filled with photographs and videos of tourists surrounded by rabbits, presenting the island as a “rabbit paradise.
”However, the animals living on Okunoshima are not wild rabbits in the way many visitors assume. They are free-roaming domesticated rabbits without legal owners. Many depend heavily on food brought by tourists while facing serious problems including illness, injury and poor nutrition.
An Island Without Public Veterinary Care or a Rescue System
There is no publicly funded veterinary care system on Okunoshima for sick or injured rabbits. When a rabbit in need of medical attention is found, there is no established government system to rescue the animal and arrange treatment. As a result, many rabbits die without receiving the veterinary care they need.
While social media continues to attract more tourists, rabbits are also exposed to inappropriate feeding, chasing, handling, accidental trampling and collisions with vehicles.
Images of a charming tourist destination have spread around the world, while the animal welfare problems occurring on the island remain largely unknown.
Rescue Cannot Be Prohibited, but Rescued Rabbits Cannot Be Returned
In our communications with Japan’s Ministry of the Environment, we were informed that the rabbits have no legal owners and that rescuing and removing a sick or injured rabbit from the island therefore cannot be prohibited.
At the same time, rescuers have been told that once a rabbit is removed from Okunoshima, it must not be returned to the island.
Consequently, all responsibility and costs associated with veterinary treatment, hospitalization, foster care, lifelong care and adoption are left to private rescuers, volunteers, adopters and donors.
There is no publicly funded rescue plan or veterinary care system for sick and injured rabbits, and no government authority has assumed clear responsibility for their welfare.
Volunteer-Led Medical Rescues Became a Public Effort in July 2024
In July 2024, volunteers began openly rescuing sick and injured rabbits from Okunoshima so that they could receive veterinary care.
One of the first publicly documented cases was Lump, a rabbit suffering from a large mass on her ear. Donations were raised openly for her veterinary treatment, and after recovering, she was placed in a private home where she received lifelong care.
Since then, multiple rescuers and supporters have worked together to locate and transport rabbits, arrange veterinary treatment, provide foster care and find permanent adoptive homes.
Not everyone who physically removed rabbits from the island in 2025 was a member of our team. This has been a collaborative effort involving on-site rescuers, veterinary professionals, foster carers, adopters, volunteers and donors.
Rescue Results From July 2024 to June 2026
Between July 2024 and the end of June 2026, 28 sick or injured rabbits were rescued from Okunoshima and provided with veterinary care.
Including six babies born after their mothers were rescued, a total of 34 lives were supported.
・Sick or injured rabbits rescued from Okunoshima: 28
・Total lives supported, including six babies born in foster care: 34
・Rabbits that died: 10
・Mortality rate: Over 33%
・Total veterinary expenses: ¥7,578,203
・Total donations received: ¥9,253,029
・Government financial support: ¥0
All veterinary expenses and rescue activities have been funded by volunteers and donors in Japan and overseas.
What is happening to the rabbits on Okunoshima Island right nowー
A New Concern: Wild Boars on the Island
The rabbits on Okunoshima Island are currently in a serious situation.
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Nutritional deficiencies and digestive diseases are rampant due to irresponsible feeding.
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Fractures and stress-induced deaths caused by tourists carrying and chasing after dogs.
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At the end of 2024, several incidents occurred in which rabbits were abused and killed.
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Serious injuries and deaths resulting from vehicle accidents
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Because there are no restrictions on reproduction, diseases and injuries are likely to spread easily.
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Wild boars presence in areas where the rabbits live and feed may create additional risks, including injury and predation. However, no specific public measures to protect the rabbits from this emerging threat have been announced.
