Northern Battery Remains

Northern Battery Ruins are the remains of a battery on Okunoshima, known as "Rabbit Island." During the war, the island became a site for the production of chemical weapons poison gas developed by the Imperial Japanese Army, and today the island preserves war relics such as battery ruins and a power plant, along with facilities like the Poison Gas Museum that can be visited as wartime heritage. At the time, the number of daily workers is said to have exceeded 5,000, and there were many health impacts in the manufacturing process. It is said that a total of about 6,600 tons were produced, and after the war the island became uninhabited and was treated as "an island erased from maps." Eight cannons remain at the Northern Battery. Okunoshima is still uninhabited today, with only one Kyukamura resort facility on the island. However, in recent years the number of wild rabbits has increased to as many as 900, making it popular as a soothing place for rabbit lovers of many ages. Japan’s only "Rabbit Island" draws many tourists who hope to benefit from rabbits’ high fertility for safe childbirth prayers and prosperity of descendants. To get to the Northern Battery Ruins, it is about a 15-minute walk from the Okunoshima ferry terminal.