A Brick Gate Built by Inmates
The Abashiri Prison Museum Back Gate (博物館網走監獄裏門) is a brick back gate built by inmates of 1919 in Yobito, Abashiri City, Hokkaido, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on August 13, 2012 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a brick structure 12.7 metres long, moved in 1995; registration number 01-0130.
English-Bond Brick and a Segmental Arch
The back gate of the Abashiri Prison Museum, built in 1919 and moved in 1995, consists of an English-bond brick wall 4.6 metres high and a pair of gateposts (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Between the posts is a 3.2-metre opening under a segmental arch, with an arched side gate to the east. The copings and door fixings are of tuff quarried within the prison, and the gate was built by the inmates (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it as a model of design.
What to Look For
Look for the segmental-arched opening and the tuff copings quarried inside the prison (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by the Abashiri Prison Preservation Foundation (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to the museum website, it is open from 9:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:00); admission is 1,500 yen for adults, 1,000 yen for high-school students and 750 yen for primary and junior high school pupils. Each building is introduced together on the Abashiri Prison Museum page.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1919; moved in 1995.
- Who built it?
- The inmates (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is it made of?
- English-bond brick and local tuff.
- What shape is the opening?
- A segmental arch.
- When was the Abashiri Prison Museum Back Gate registered?
- On August 13, 2012 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Abashiri Prison Museum Back Gate (博物館網走監獄裏門) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-1 Yobito, Abashiri City, Hokkaido |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2012/08/13 (Heisei 24) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Brick, 12.7 m long |
| Owner | Abashiri Prison Preservation Foundation |
| Public Access | Open as the Abashiri Prison Museum (Abashiri Prison Museum) |
References
- Abashiri Prison Museum Back Gate (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009255
- Abashiri Prison Museum (official website, in Japanese)
- https://www.kangoku.jp/
Last verified: 2026.10.26
