Hello.
It’s the fourth day of our trip to Hokkaido.
Today, we’re visiting the Abashiri Prison Museum. It is the only prison museum in Japan and it features buildings relocated from the Abashiri Prison, the northernmost prison in Japan.
After the Meiji Restoration, Japan faced a surge of political and national offenders due to civil unrest, leading to overcrowded prisons. Additionally, the development of Hokkaido was crucial to fend off threats from the Russian Empire. In 1881, the “Prison Regulations” were revised, and a prison was established in Hokkaido to use inmates as labor for its defense and development. There were also hopes that inmates would settle in Hokkaido after serving their sentences.
The “Cell Blocks and Central Watchtower,” where prisoners lived, is designated as an Important Cultural Property. Centered around the central watchtower, five cell blocks radiate outward, allowing for a clear view of all hallways. This wooden structure is the oldest of its kind in the world, and it is the only one remaining in Japan. It is also one of the largest, with a total of 226 cells, including solitary and shared rooms. Some rooms can be entered, providing a realistic experience of what it was like for the prisoners.
At the Abashiri Prison Museum, you can try “Experiential Prison Meals,” which replicate the meals currently served to inmates at the Abashiri Prison. Surprisingly, they are quite tasty, so I highly recommend trying them. The menu includes barley rice (30% barley and 70% white rice), grilled fish (saury or hokke), a small dish, a main dish, and miso soup, although it seems that what is actually served is bancha (a type of green tea) instead of miso soup. I’ve never been incarcerated, so I can’t say for sure.
There’s also a “Museum Shop” and a “Souvenir Shop” where you can buy original goods available only here as souvenirs.
Yoshie Shiratori (July 31, 1907 – February 24, 1979), known as the “Escape King” of the Showa era, was a former inmate of Abashiri Prison. He was incarcerated five times, serving a total of 26 years, during which he escaped four times, totaling three years on the run. At the notoriously secure Abashiri Prison, he was placed in a special cell. He managed to continuously spray miso soup on his handcuffs and the bolts of the observation window for a year, corroding them with the salt. He then dislocated his joints, broke through the skylight with his head, pulled out the chimney, and successfully escaped for the third time on August 26, 1944, at the age of 37. He was able to dislocate all of his joints, which meant that as long as there was enough space for his head, he could easily escape from prison and he reportedly ran distances of up to 120 kilometers in a day.
At the Abashiri Prison Museum, I saw a beautiful young woman dressed as Asirpa, an Ainu girl from the anime “Golden Kamuy.” She told me that her entire costume was handmade. We took a photo together, but since we promised not to upload it on social media, I’m sorry I can’t share it with you.
That’s all for today. See you again!