The Abashiri Prison Museum is an open-air historical museum that preserves and displays buildings actually used in Abashiri Prison since the Meiji era.
It is probably the most famous attraction in the Abashiri area, aside from the drift ice.
After parking the car, walking towards the museum entrance, you are greeted by lush greenery.
This is the entrance, with the ticket office on the left.
The original ticket price is 1080 yen, discounted to 970 yen, still a bit pricey.
Once inside, this is the former main gate of the prison.
At the entrance, there is a fake prisoner (Gosunkugi) cleaning.
Gosunkugi, Japan’s famous escape king.
This is the main building, a rather beautiful structure, now designated as an important cultural property.
The main building primarily housed various offices.
Here, the warden is giving a speech.
Inside the main building, there are now displays of historical materials related to Abashiri Prison.
Prisoners were not only confined inside but also sent out to work on road construction.
Prisoners at Abashiri built a total of 724 kilometers of roads.
Now, the museum grounds are like a park, with a pleasant environment.
It’s hard to imagine how harsh the conditions were in the past.
Staff quarters.
This is a Temporary Quarters.
When prisoners were working outside and couldn’t return to Abashiri in time, they stayed here temporarily.
The Agricultural Storehouse, where farming tools were stored.
The Penological Museum.
Displays of prisoners working outside.
In the Meiji era, prisoners wore conspicuous clothing, making it easy to spot them if they tried to escape.
Gosunkugi Torakichi, Japan’s famous escape king.
Former prisoners’ clothing and handcuffs.
In the History Hall, there is a place where you can watch a video to learn about the prisoners’ work in Hokkaido.
Unfortunately, my photos were too shaky, so I didn’t include them.
Guard Huts and farmland.
Buildings of the Futamigaoka Branch.
Lecture Hall and Cafeteria.
These are the prisoners’ living quarters.
The walls of the original rooms were designed with slits to allow the guards to monitor the prisoners.
It looks well-ventilated, but I imagine it must have been freezing in winter.
This room is quite spacious, with the toilet in the corner.
Five wooden one-storied houses radiate from the Central Guard House.
Nearby, there are displays of swords and hunting rifles.
Introduction.
There is also an introduction to Gosunkugi Torakichi.
Explanation of the prison cell regulations here.
There are solitary confinement, communal confinement, and night-time solitary confinement.
This is the fifth wing, with a stove in the middle of the corridor.
But it seems too far from the cells to provide much warmth.
Night-time solitary confinement cell
I wonder if every cell has a toilet?
This cell has a sign at the door saying “with toilet”.
The number of items inside the cell.
Surprisingly, there is a shogi board available, but only in communal cells.
Some cells even have mannequins inside.
This looks like a three-person cell.
The toilet is in the left corner.
A tour group just arrived.
I noticed there are also mannequins above the beams, not sure what they represent.
According to the “Kyoto Travel Research Center” president, these mannequins simulate the escape of the escape king “Yoshie Shiratori”.
What I don’t understand is, even though the walls are designed with slits,
why is there still a peephole on the door?
Bathhouse.
Prisoners had designated bath times, but in the past, it was only once every 5-10 days.
Nowadays, Japanese prisons allow bathing 2-3 times a week.
In the past, the prison doors had small windows with scenic paintings.
Walking towards the Lecture Hall, the weather was so nice I took a photo.
It’s hard to imagine this place used to be a prison.
Lecture Hall.
Here is a brief travelogue of the Abashiri Prison Museum.
If you visit Abashiri in the summer and can’t see the drift ice, you can still come here for a visit.
Abashiri Prison Museum (Official Website)
Business Hours: May-September 8:30~18:00, October-April 9:00~17:00
Admission: Adults ￥1080 (10% discount coupon available)
Phone: 0152-45-2411
Address: 〒 099-2421 Hokkaido, Abashiri City, Yobito 1-1
Map:
『Original Source：https://nicklee.tw/2233/abashiri-kangoku-museum/』
