A Domed Sentry Box at the Back Gate
The Abashiri Prison Museum Back Gate Guardhouse (博物館網走監獄裏門哨舎) is a hexagonal sentry box at the back gate of 1912 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 single-storey timber structure with an iron-sheet roof and an area of 1.9 square metres, moved in 1992; registration number 01-0131.
A Domed Roof with a Spear Finial
The back gate guardhouse, built in 1912 and moved in 1992, watched visitors and inmates at the back gate of Abashiri Prison (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Only about two square metres in area, it is hexagonal with a glazed window on every side for watching in all directions. A spear-shaped finial tops its domed roof and the lower walls are boarded, giving the little building a smart look (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it as a model of design.
What to Look For
Look for the spear finial on the domed roof and the hexagon of windows (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 1912; moved in 1992.
- What was it for?
- Watching people at the back gate.
- What shape is it?
- Hexagonal.
- What is the roof like?
- A dome with a spear finial.
- When was the Abashiri Prison Museum Back Gate Guardhouse registered?
- On August 13, 2012 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Abashiri Prison Museum Back Gate Guardhouse (博物館網走監獄裏門哨舎) |
|---|---|
| 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 | Single-storey timber, iron sheet, 1.9 m² |
| Owner | Abashiri Prison Preservation Foundation |
| Public Access | Open as the Abashiri Prison Museum (Abashiri Prison Museum) |
References
- Abashiri Prison Museum Back Gate Guardhouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009256
- Abashiri Prison Museum (official website, in Japanese)
- https://www.kangoku.jp/
Last verified: 2026.10.26
