From the Historic Townscape of Takehara to Okunoshima Island, the Island of Rabbits

This route invites you to spend your morning strolling through the historic townscape of Takehara, known as the "Little Kyoto of Aki," and your afternoon traveling by train and boat to Okunoshima Island, home to free-roaming rabbits. From streets preserving the merchant culture of the Edo period to an island carrying the wartime history of poison gas manufacturing, you will encounter two completely different eras within Takehara.

History and Local Charm

Takehara flourished early in the Edo period by adopting the irihama-style salt field method from Ako. Building on salt production, the town expanded its commerce into sake brewing, coastal shipping, and wholesaling. It was also referred to as a "center of education and culture" because locals engaged in scholarly pursuits, Chinese poetry, and the tea ceremony, giving rise to numerous scholars. The townscape lining Honmachi-dori Street, with its continuous merchant houses, was designated as a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in 1982.

Floating about 3 kilometers off the coast of Tadanoumi-cho in Takehara lies Okunoshima Island. During the Meiji period, coastal artillery batteries were built here as part of the Geiyo Fortress to fortify the Seto Inland Sea. In 1929, the Japanese Army established a poison gas manufacturing plant, producing poison gas until the end of World War II. From around 1932, it was erased from maps as a confidential island. After the war, the island was incorporated into Setonaikai National Park in 1950, and today it attracts many visitors as an "island of rabbits."

Key Highlights

• ​Takehara Historic Preservation District​​: Two-story, gable-roofed merchant houses with tiled roofs and white plaster walls line roughly 500 meters of Honmachi-dori Street. The diverse wooden latticework, such as degoshi (projecting latticework) and senbon-goshi (fine latticework), varies from house to house and is a key highlight.
• ​Okunoshima Island​​: You can see rabbits relaxing across open lawns and beside the roads. Scattered around the island are remnants of the Geiyo Fortress batteries and storehouses that once held poison gas. At the ruins of the Nagaura Poison Gas Storehouse, the largest on the island, you can still see blackened, scorched walls from flamethrowers used in post-war decontamination operations.
• ​Okunoshima Poison Gas Museum​​: Built in 1988, this museum conveys the tragedy of poison gas production through actual items used on the island, including workers' notebooks, work uniforms, and parts of equipment used to synthesize liquid poison gas. Its guiding message is: "To recognize the tragedy of war, the preciousness of peace, and the value of life."
• ​Okunoshima Power Plant Ruins​​: Located on the eastern side of the island facing the shore of Tadanoumi, these are the ruins of a massive concrete building that supplied electricity to the poison gas plant. Rabbits now live around the walls covered in ivy and wild foliage.

Recommended Route and Duration

The recommended route takes approximately 7 hours. Spend your morning walking through Takehara. From Takehara Station, it is about a 10-minute walk to the preservation district. For an in-depth tour of local sites such as the local history museum, Fumeikaku Hall, merchant estates, and sake breweries, please also refer to the guide "Townscape of Takehara: The Little Kyoto of Aki."

In the early afternoon, return to Takehara Station and take the JR Kure Line for about 10 minutes to Tadanoumi Station. From Tadanoumi Station, it is about a 5-minute walk to Tadanoumi Port, and a 15-minute boat ride from the port to Okunoshima Island. Okunoshima Island lies about 9 kilometers southeast in a straight line from the townscape of Takehara.

Upon arriving on the island, stopping first at the Okunoshima Poison Gas Museum makes it easier to understand the historical purpose of each remaining structure. From the museum, it is about 400 meters northeast to the Okunoshima Power Plant Ruins. Many of the ruins are surrounded by safety fences to prevent accidents, so please view them from the outside. To protect the wild rabbits, visitors are asked to refrain from bringing pets to the island. Checking the return boat schedule before crossing over ensures a safe and comfortable trip.

Experience Summary

Spend the morning walking through a town of merchants that flourished on salt and learning, and spend the afternoon on an island where rabbits relax, confronting the wartime history that was once wiped from maps. This one-day itinerary connects memories of two completely different eras set against the calm scenery of Setouchi. While interacting with the rabbits, take time to reflect on the history the island has lived through.