We got up at 7am today to check out and catch the Shinkansen train. We grabbed our essential bento boxes and arrived at the platform, with a full 45 minutes still to spare. I was tired and blamed Antoine for rushing us and not letting me sleep more this morning. He quickly went to get me coffee to make up for it, and I felt significantly better once properly caffeinated.
When the train arrived, we settled in and had our bento boxes along with the leftover gyoza for brunch. It was going to be a long journey with one Shinkansen, two local trains, and a ferry. When Antoine checked the schedule again, we realised the transfers were very tight. So we adjusted our plan and decided to get off one stop earlier, giving ourselves at least 20–30 minutes for each connection. Thankfully, that decision paid off.
After the Shinkansen and the first local train, we had about an hour before the next one. Antoine, on a mission, went off to find fresh vegetables for the bunnies while I stayed at the station guarding the luggage. The first shop he found on Google was closed, but he managed to find another store that sold fruit. Using Google Translate, he asked if they had any vegetables and successfully came back with spinach and lettuce. He returned just in time, and we boarded our second local train.
We arrived at Tadanoumi, where the ferry port is. As soon as we got off, everyone from the train started heading in the direction of the port, clearly sharing our plan. We made a quick stop at seven eleven to grab water and a banana for the bunnies, then joined the queue for the ferry. While waiting, we also picked up some bunny pellets. The ferry arrived, and we climbed up the stairs to the upper deck with our suitcases. The ride was only 15 minutes, so we climbed down again soon after.
Once we arrived on the island, we started walking towards the hotel. Even during the short 10-minute walk, we spotted a few bunnies here and there, which immediately got us excited. Still, we decided to drop off our luggage first so we could fully enjoy the experience. After checking in, we quickly prepared a bag of bunny snacks and headed straight back out.
Right in front of the hotel, there was a grassy area filled with bunnies. As soon as we started feeding them, more and more appeared. Antoine lay down and placed food on his chest and stomach, instantly creating a bunny puddle, climbing all over him. He was absolutely thrilled. (Technically it’s a fluffle, as a group of bunnies is called a fluffle) A kid nearby got very jealous of his bunny crowd and wanted a turn, so we gave up the spot and continued exploring the island.
As we walked further, we found quieter areas with fewer people. Antoine convinced me to try lying down as well, which I was initially hesitant about because of the bunny poop. He lent me his hoodie to lie on, which helped. I finally gave in, lay down, and placed some food on my stomach. Soon enough, bunnies gathered around me. I could feel their tiny paws, some sniffing near my ears, others giving little licks. It was incredibly soft, gentle, and surprisingly calming. Definitely a unique experience.
We kept walking, with bunnies occasionally running up to us for food. I couldn’t resist their tiny paws and kept handing out treats. Eventually, we reached a small beach near the hotel and decided to try swimming. It felt warm outside, but the water told a different story. Antoine bravely went in first, only to discover it was 14 degrees according to his Apple Watch. He got out immediately. I dipped my feet in and decided that was more than enough.
We went back to the hotel for a quick shower before heading to the buffet dinner. The food wasn’t quite as good as we had hoped, but I still enjoyed some sashimi, and Antoine found his way to the steak. After dinner, we joined a free tour, thinking it would be a walking tour to see fireflies. Instead, it turned out to be a talk and demonstration about sea fireflies, tiny organisms in the sand that glow when disturbed. We didn’t understand much of the explanation since it was in Japanese, but we did get to see them light up when the guide demonstrated, which was pretty cool.
A bit disappointed that it wasn’t an actual walk, we decided to explore on our own. We went back to the beach from earlier and managed to spot a few faint twinkles in the sand. It was interesting, but nowhere near as dramatic as the demonstration because we didn’t have the special equipment. Antoine tried to take photos, but they came out completely dark. At least the stars above us made up for it. After our slightly underwhelming but still memorable attempt, we headed back to the hotel and fell asleep almost immediately.