1. Miyajima Deer Versus Okunoshima
Rabbits in an Ethical Debate
Cassandra Bugir
Canisius College, Buffalo, NY
May 4th
, 2015.

2. Abstract
Deontological or traditional ethical values are heavily engrained in Japanese culture.
Hiroshima prefecture is taut with history and unique animal islands that allow travellers to
experience a charitable visit with revered animals. It is with the intention that kindness
given will be bestowed upon the giver and his family by the gods. The revered animals
compared in this paper are Deer from Miyajima Island versus the Rabbits on Okunoshima
Island and how ethical issues are addressed in both cases.

3. Introduction
After a week in March 2015 spent in Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan, there were a few
ethical implications on both Deer Island and Rabbit Island that were observed but not
necessarily reflected upon until returning back to the United States. The week was spent
interviewing locals and guests, jotting down perspectives, which reflected the traditional
deontological influences as well as utilitarian motives. Another subset of people we
interviewed were the local business holders of high rank, university professors, and
historians through translators.
One of the overlaying themes between the two islands- whether at museums or speaking
with locals is not letting history repeat itself. It is important to learn all the excruciating
details, and repercussions, so as not to make the same mistake twice.
Observations lead one to conclude that re-wilding seems like the right decision in the case
of the deer but not necessarily in the rabbits. It must be noted that a majority of the
resources accumulated to formulate this paper are mostly theoretical and speculative
based on behavioral evidence and dialogue, as this topic has not been extensively
researched.
Part of the reasoning as to why this has not been studied is due to the fact that
deontological structure, to which Japanese culture is predicated upon, affects economic
cycles. If enough welfare organizations cry out to the government, action will affect the
local populations and ultimately the livelihood of both people, and consequently, the
animals. Utilitarianism, as related in the following situations pertains to both humans and

4. animals. On one hand, there is the need to rely on local businesses by feeding and clothing
families as well as visiting the popular hot springs offered by, particularly, hotels, which
contribute to overall wellbeing and, subsequently, happiness. On the other hand, animals
such as the traditionally revered and mythologized deer and rabbits are on islands with
plenty of protection and resources through prior human intervention. Through historical
facts and cultural shifts, the delicate weave of these manmade animal utopias is changing
not only the behaviors of these animals but also the consequences resulting in the actual
origins themselves. It is a wish to debunk myths and present both sides of the coin on this
complicated issue.
There are so many misinforming outlets and preconceived notions through media biases
which present these situations without the actual realities of the Japanese people and the
animals. An example of this, although unrelated to the deer and rabbit islands is, every
action has a purpose to it even as much as the westernly convoluted perspective on Taiji,
which we learned on this research trip through the Japanese translators, is a result of
human wildlife conflict affecting fishing towns. The small percentage of culling is a way to
reduce populations and mutually benefit dolphin individuals and human livelihood. No
animal is seen as superior to another in Shintoism much as we have here where there is the
hierarchy we have here in the United States in terms of conservation efforts. Certain
animals are taboo to eat. But the dolphin and whales that are hunted in Taiji would be
comparable to by-catch here in commercial fisheries, with the difference that they are
actually used, i.e. nothing goes to waste. It is important to highlight this feature to give a

5. well-rounded perspective on Shintoism as a deontological force in Japanese ethical
structure.
Causing senseless harm to animals is not a part of Japanese ethics, but exceptions to
individualism much like in the west. Another factor from the other side is the lack of
awareness of natural history and actual realities of the animals presented in these two
cases.
Miyajima or Deer Island
The first area of comparison is “Deer Island” (Anglicized nickname) or Miyajima (which
translates to “Shrine Island”) located on Itsukushima Island. Before 2007, tourists were
allowed to feed the deer (Nihonjika is the species, Japanese Deer or Sika Deer) as a way to
pay homage to the deer that are considered in Shinto religion as “sacred messengers of
gods (Chan 2012).” It was seen as a way of taking care of the messengers to ensure favors
with the Gods- blessings for such values as the family, children and bountiful lives. Feeding
was often with whatever was on hand, progressing to a local venture producing low quality
rice crackers for a nominal fee.
It must be noted that there is another Deer Island in Nara where feeding still goes on.
“At first sight, the deer seem quite tame. In fact, they appear to be downright
lethargic. But don’t be fooled. Their innocence is but a ruse. As soon as they smell
food, the deer of Nara turn into vicious predators. They stop at nothing to get hold of

6. the rice crackers, even going as far as attacking the humans holding the crackers
(The Japans 2012).”
At Nara, park officials created a sign to indicate the voracious nature of the deer towards
food, warning visitors to take appropriate precautions.
On the other hand, in Miyajima, when deer were still being fed, signs indicated another
ethical choice of not feeding the deer and maintaining their wild status.
The significance and status of Miyajima Island needs to be noted. Since 1996, Itsukushima
Island was considered as a candidate for a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was inscribed by
the committee in the same year as
“the nominated property on the basis of cultural criteria (i), (ii), (iv) and (vi) as the
supreme example of this form of religious center, setting traditional architecture of
great artistic and technical merit against a dramatic natural background and thereby
creating a work of art of incomparable physical beauty. The Delegate of Germany
suggested that the authorities may consider cultural landscape criteria for a possible
extension (UNESCO 1996).”
What are left out in this criterion are the animals themselves. According to various sources,
feeding of deer became so prevalent, as to increase the amount of deer prior to the time of
the inscribing. More deer on the island meant accentuating the beauty of the island and
creating this utopia for tourists to visit. Based on the spirituality of the island, more deer
also means more favors from the gods as there are more messengers being fed and well
cared for.

7. Change in deer behavior through human intervention
In relatively recent history, 2007-20081, a ban was passed that tourists were no longer
allowed to feed the deer on the island. Subsequent to this decision, there has been an
attempt to make these deer, which are already habituated, to be seen as wildlife. It would
be safe to say that the deer on this island are in a state of “re-wilding”, per se, by the
environmental protection agency equivalent and Shrine Island maintenance. No touching,
feeding or any anthropocentric activity is to take place (such as the more recent “selfies”
with animals).
It is though that these animals would return to their natural instincts and avoid humans as
they once did. With that being said, the Island’s signs are in inconspicuous places
throughout the island and by the time the tourist’s action has taken place, the sign’s
message is moot. Law enforcement is not so strict at Miyajima Island and, also, there is not
enough manpower to police the laws or signage with the thousands of tourists that set foot
on the island every day. Locals do not necessarily contribute to law enforcement either
because they do not want to tread on toes of potential customers and would much rather
deal with the deer hands-on in ways that are described later on in this section of the paper.
Another factor to take into consideration is the tourist engagement with the deer. Because
of the overall knowledge of the feeding ban, there is a remorseful ambience on the island.
1 Conflicting reports- interviewing Dr. Tanida from Hiroshima University versus the online blogging
communities.

8. The deer wander around forlorn and begging for crumbs, even so much as to suck any sort
of residual nutrients out of a tourist’s jacket. It was a haunting and helpless image in
contrast to a vibrantly vermillion and jade background with springing cherry blossoms. For
a creature to be so desecrated in a holy place is an ethical anomaly. On a personal note, one
often wonders what the gods’ are thinking with respect to harm and abandoning of the
messengers that were left in human care.
Unfortunately, taking into consideration the actual realities of ruminants, they are prone to
imprinting and habituation at a very young age.
“At this stage right after birth, the fawn does not know that it is a deer, and might
follow, anyone. The mother doe, in these first "getting to know you" days, has to
sometimes claim back a fawn that goes to another doe, ready to follow her as its
mother. Sometimes a fawn that tries to call another doe "mom" will be bluntly run
off. Sometimes a doe will obligingly accept another's fawn that wants to nurse
(Suwanee River Ranch 2015).”
It will take generations and years to extinguish the habituated behavior from the deers’
psyche after removing food stimulation.
One of the ethical complications in this matter is the abrupt removal of food motivation
from the deer resulting in starvation. At this island there are approximately 250 deer but
yet it is still seen as an overpopulation debate. Reducing already weak genetically
predisposed deer (if subsequent generations subsisted on rice crackers and a bounty of low
quality food) through starvation seems disconcerting from a western perspective.

9. Historically, “During the second world war, because of food shortages, residents were
forced to eat deer. At this time the deer population declined but after the war it was
decided to import more deer from Nara city to boost the population and increase breeding
(Itsukushima 2008).” Therefore, the island has had two cycles of increases and decreases in
population known thus far - for sustenance and for status.
The aforementioned deer were viewed as sacred along with the Shinto shrines and temples
on the island, but their sanctity has been "taken away" with this new 2007 ban on feeding
them. We met with Dr. Tanida, human-animal studies professor in Hiroshima University
who explained the polarized views on the subject of the deer. On one hand, we have the
local commercial enterprises that are out to earn an honest living and stabilizing a financial
future for their families and themselves2. Whilst there is this growth on Miyajima with
souvenir, cultural, and restaurant businesses, ethics are further complicated on the island
by the abuse of deer by locals with activities such as shooing, hitting, and pulling them by
their faces and legs.
Often this is justification by the businesses in a bid to support local tourism commerce.
“The group members have seen locals prodding deer with sticks and throwing
stones at them (and on one occasion a broom) while tourists were trying to feed
them. They have also heard reports about a local person breaking a deer's leg with a
golf club. I saw one deer with a damaged or broken leg. This deer is confined to the
2 A precursor to the more western, capitalistic perspective.

10. grounds of an abandoned building covered in trash, which it was trying to eat when
we arrived. The tourists on the island that day seemed very keen to pat the deer and
have their photos taken with them but most seemed oblivious to their condition.
Ironically, the tourist shops are still displaying and selling deer souvenirs. The deer
are obviously still a big attraction for tourists and the local area has made a lot of
money out of them (Itsukushima 2008).”
Dr. Tanida’s perception of Miyajima is quite different than a western tourists’ because he
spends more time with his graduate research students on this island. The reason I include
his point in the paper is because he mentioned he would much rather spend time with the
smaller population of deer, knowing each individual by characteristics and, in the process
educate the local business owners as well as publish information involving the human-
animal studies students. He had a rough image of Rabbit Island because of the animal
waste.
Manure
Because of apparent overpopulation prior to 2007-2008, deer waste made the island
“dirty” and local businesses were afraid of sanitary issues. In the wild and in the domestic
settings, waste, especially feces, coming from such herbivores as deer and rabbits is great
fertilizer. The plethora of pellets does not smell as roughly or have a negative
environmental consequence as commercial cattle manure, it does well as it degrades
slowly, essentially a time-release formula.

11. “There's just no poop that works as well for the garden as rabbit poop. It has all the
uber-benefits of horse and steer manure but with a distinct advantage. Because it's
considered a "cold" manure, you don't have to let rabbit poop age or compost before
you use it. Other manures that come from chickens, sheep, horse, cows, and pigs or
"hot" manures, need to be composted for months before you can safely use them or
you'll burn your little plant darlings to death. Not so with rabbit poop (McLaughlin
2010).”
Whilst is not a favorable aesthetic to see feces on the ground, there is not enough education
in this part of the world on the benefits of the waste. Perhaps the concern lies in the quality
of the feed, gastrointestinal issues and digestive enzymes in the chemical composition of
the feces. It may be an overgeneralization, but the feces could help contribute to plant cover
growth and lack of soil erosion. The drawback is, again, the overlaying theme of
overpopulation and population control being left to the re-wilding process.
Introduction to Okunoshima Island
All of the preceding observations are in stark comparison to “the rabbit island”, where
tourists are allowed to feed the rabbits. Yet, the hotel on the island secretly discourages
their feeding. The main reasons for the discouragement are lack of overall knowledge
feeding the rabbits/feeding nutritionally inadequate and inappropriate contents as well as
the aesthetic of the front of the hotel with feces and holes. There is a lack of manpower on

12. the island and all the hard labor is allocated to cleaning the feces at the front of the hotel
(because of customer complaints “not paying to see poo”).
If photos were distributed online of people leaving inappropriate food items on the ground
and the environmental protect agency hears about this outrage, the economic viability of
this island suffers considering the national park status of this island and the chain hotel’s
reputation. Customers are asking the hotel to sell the pellets again and according to the
hotel manager, with whom we spoke to on the island, this is a national park/nature
preserve and therefore it is forbidden to feed wild animals. One personal qualm with this
circumstance is the history of the island itself and how the rabbits actually came to the
island.
One of the interviews garnered through a local photographer under the pseudonym, UTA.
Since 2008, they supply a majority of Japanese tourists with information on Rabbit Island
and are the most popular Ameba blog viewed to date. This photographer gave insight as to
how the locals that are educated, view the rabbits. The rabbits are clearly domesticated
with Agouti, Dutch, and Rexes mixing in and dominating the island among several other
breeds representing other individuals in the population. The rabbits are not as wild as
stories perpetuated by the hotel and nature preserve. The animals in general, are very
present and aware, as they do not have time to think but rather to do, for their survival.
This awareness is also manipulated humans by creating an environment that ensures all
animals on the island are taken in consideration so as not to inflict harm to them. On the
other hand, if any harm was inflicted to the animal’s body there is an offering of profuse

13. apologies. Anytime a corpse is moved or an animal is about to be killed, the Shintos offer
their prayers to the spirits so no negative karmic action in afflicted.
History of Rabbit Island
On Okunoshima Island (Usa Jima or Rabbit Island), there is the history of chemical gas
testing on the island during World War Two.
“Japan was a signatory on the 1925 Geneva Protocol which banned the use of
chemical warfare. Although the development and storage of chemical weapons were
not banned, the country went to great lengths to assure the secrecy of construction
of the chemical munitions plant begun in 1929, even going so far as to remove
records of the island from some maps (Okunoshima Island 2006).”
Relationships between Japan and China were incredibly strained at this point and the
mustard gas testing was to be used against the Chinese masses.
One of the methods to test the gas was actually using rabbits. There is a conflict of historical
reports, but the Poison Gas Museum on the island mentioned the Japanese White Rabbits, a
breed of domesticated rabbits. These were used in the same manner as canaries in
coalmines from approximately 1911 to 19873. The rabbits were reportedly used to detect
any chemical leakage in the soil and any individuals who died rapidly indicated the
presence of toxins. Another theory posed that the rabbits were subjected to actual
exposure of the poison and testing the strength of concoctions as well as effectiveness.
3 http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/30/newsid_2547000/2547587.stm

14. There has also been speculation as to the origin of the rabbits on the island related to the
ecotourism boom. According to the current poison gas museum director, as confirmed by
Ms. Baba, the Island’s Visitor Center historian, the rabbits were brought here and left here
by school children. On a field trip in the 1970’s4, school children release approximately 8
rabbits (school pets) on the island in hopes of freedom for the animals, an ancestral
homage, per se.
It must be noted, the influence of “kawaii” culture. The neonate feature in baby rabbits (as
well as other animals) is one of the main reasons for keeping a rabbit as a pet in Japanese
culture. At a local pet store in Takehara City, our group perused the contents of the store
and noticed the pricing of baby rabbits in comparison to older, larger rabbits. Baby rabbits
were approximately 3000 yen (equivalent of about 270 dollars US based on exchange rate)
versus larger rabbits being priced at 2500 yen (200 US dollars respectively). As soon as the
baby rabbits get older the appeal reduces, owners abandon their rabbits on the island. One
of the qualms about going on the trip in general was seeing results of inbreeding as based
on the 8 rabbits abandoned. It was a partial albeit bizarre relief to see relatively normally
looking rabbits on the island.
In research prior to visiting the island, it had been stated that the rabbits on the island
cannot drink the water or eat the food on the island because of chemical remnants in the
natural resources.
“The water supply in the island was found to contain arsenic in 1996. In 2005, the
Environment Ministry reported that the level of arsenic in the atmosphere was 49
4 According to web blogs-1971, hotel manager-1973

15. times the environmental standard. The island has been declared safe for tourists
now, but according to Masayuki Yamauchi5, a volunteer who gives tours of
Okunoshima’s factory ruins, there are 11 known locations on the island where
workers buried gas after the war was over. These locations are sealed-off today, but
many voices argue that the island isn’t safe for humans even today, given the fact
that there was never any major decontamination operation. Tourists are generally
advised to stay on official walkways and paths (Sumitra 2013).”
This has since proven to be false, as the grasses and other vegetation have been visibly
consumed. There is this fear that because of the estimated 1000 individual rabbits, the
resources on island could be depleted, with some places already showing to be overgrazed.
This is why mainland Japanese tourists came to feed the animals. The attendant bloom of
social media has impacted the local economy accordingly.
Change in behaviors
The ethical dilemma here is feeding the rabbits contributing to over population by resource
abundance yet there is a decreasing domestic rabbit lifespan (normal range is 5-10 years
whereas island rabbits are an average age of 2 years) based on diet quality. Behaviors have
also changed as a result of human intervention. Rabbits are skittish by their very nature
and so to have rabbits running up to you for food dependence are a unique modification6.
5 As of our current visit, tours are no longer given and have been replaced with museum and visitor’s center.
6 It must be noted this is particularly true at the port area and in front of the hotel, we observed skittish
behavior in small populations on the mountain.

16. There is an attachment emotionally from the hotel customer to the rabbits, which is why
the hotel has not posted any discouragement of feeding the rabbits. The other circumstance
is if there is an overabundance of rabbits, i.e. an environmental threshold is reached; the
island’s national park officials will implement a protocol to kill excess rabbits. The
threshold, as defined by the hotel manager on the island, is almost at peak capacity
currently.
No one wants to control (via killing) part of the population on the island because of
reputations at stake but, by the same token, the manpower and environmental implications
overrule. It must be noted that hotel employees remove any carcasses from the island,
transporting them via ferry and disposing of them on the mainland so no diseases are
rampant on the island.
The main predators on the island are crows, birds of prey, snakes, and one employee that
unceasingly continues to speed on the island. Crows play a big part in predation as they
wait outside the warrens in the mountainside for baby rabbits to peek in the outside world
so they can snatch them and consume them. Corvids also attack larger rabbits in
competition for food dropped by visitors. They consume soft tissue such as eyes and
intestines of the just deceased carcasses. Snakes only consume one rabbit, as needed, every
so often which makes the reptiles not efficient for population control. With that being said,
one of the foreign visitors from Slovenia made a profound statement to his naïve travel
companion who said “why not just bring snakes to the island to control population since
there are no natural predators?” The statement was “Well, if you have snakes there’s a
plethora of resources so snakes will become overpopulated, so what you then bring in

17. birds of prey? You’ll have the same problem… it’s important just to leave the island as is
and let nature deal with herself.”
There are very few vehicles on the island - mainly trucks to transport cumbersome
materials from one end of the island to the other or a shuttle that allows elderly or
travelers relief when walking from the hotel to the port and vice versa. Unfortunately, there
has been one reckless worker who used to drive the shuttle but refused to slow down when
he had no passengers and hit some rabbits without mercy. He is considered a valuable
worker on the island but has been moved to the lighthouse and operating battery tower on
the high mountain so as not to work near a high population of rabbits and around guests.
According to Baba, the Visitor’s Center historian, he still speeds without consideration for
surroundings.
On Miyajima (“Deer Island”) we are dealing with a larger massed animal and more
resources are needed to sustain the life of the animals. Because agriculture is a big factor
on Miyajima, since it is a residential island, there is human-animal conflict. Economic value
is placed on rice and corn, which can be subjected to deer consumption. It is not a big deal
on Okunoshima (“Rabbit Island”) since no one has a permanent residence on the island due
to the previous occupation and the worries of poison gas leakage in the soil and water
supply.
If the rabbits were subjected to an agricultural field they would be disposed of or whether
or not they were under governmental protection against the locals. One of the initiatives
for environmental protection on Rabbit Island is wrapping trees and partitioning land so
the rabbits cannot access the area allocated for human use. Because of the material used,

18. plastic meshing, it has not been well thought out considering the overall morphology of
rabbits, namely their teeth. The rabbits chew through the plastic, which is another hazard
the rabbits face, and end up where they are not supposed to be.
Another ethical factor facing the island is the uninvited guests on the island - boars.
According to the visitor center historian, boar swim across the canal from neighboring
small islands and have established a population of ten individuals on the island. The
significance of these individuals raises concern for resource competition with the rabbits
(consuming cabbage, carrots and other vegetable and pellet waste leftover from the day’s
visitors) as well as trampling land creating large pockets of earth that affect not only
elderly and disabled visitors but also the rabbits who would otherwise nibble on the grass
that was uprooted.
Conclusion
Because of the lack of evidence and comprehensive research, the ethical framework is more
of a one-on-one representation supplemented by anecdotal observation. Therefore, this
document conveys a personal side of an ethical decision.
With implications towards nonhuman animals, it should be noted that whilst tradition (or
deontological perspectives) influences decision, there is a generational shift progressing
towards the west. In the case of the deer at Miyajima and the rabbits in Okunoshima, the
notion of delineating nature and “good” business indicates our western philosophy of bio-

19. suppression. This means that the overall natural histories and actual realities of the
animals are not being taken into consideration when making decisions that impact both
humans and animals. There is also the humanistic arena of exploiting resources. Whilst we
have these humanly inspired animal havens on these two islands, the profits arising from
souvenirs of these animals do not go directly to the animal’s welfare but rather the thought
and image preservation.
One thing that separates these two island managements versus the west is the involvement
of any environmental agency. In the west, if there are any ethical concerns, citizens call and
action takes place, whereas here, hotels or other businesses assume responsibility.
Concerned citizens must show initiative carefully so as not to tarnish/economical
implication. The hotel chain in Okunoshima has a duty to inform guests of events and
points of interests of Hiroshima Prefecture in order to garner attraction to the area and
accrue business.
It is a delicate weave of the lack of welfare laws, education levels, tradition and mythology
as well as economic structure that influence these decisions to benefit all involved.
This is in part the reason as to why not many publications have been written as a result of
hindrance on progression in welfare and assuming all will fix itself. These domesticated
rabbits and habituated Sika Deer are viewed as wild animals by the local environmental
agency and the resultant ethical issues derive primarily from overpopulation.

20. If these situations were to get out of hand, there are careful initiatives waiting on the
sidelines to be actioned. One of the more positive features of the island is the guests and
majority of the workers consideration for the surroundings at both islands. Island guests
watch where they step and become as present as the animals, ensuring no one gets stepped
on or seriously hurt.
If one does so happen to be stepped on accidentally there are profuse apologies to the
animal, a food offering and personal ambient guilt that occur as repercussions.

21. References Cited
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Date Accessed: May 4th, 2015
Itsukushima. (2008). Miyajima Deer. http://itsukushima.blogspot.com. Date
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McLaughlin, C. (2010). Rabbit Manure in the Garden. Vegetable Gardener.
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Okunoshima Island. (2006)."The Beginning of the Gas Plants." Ōkunoshima Poison
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2015
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Suwannee River Ranch in Florida we hunt native and northern whitetail and other
game. (n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2015, from
http://www.suwanneeriverranch.com/WTinfo.htm
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