A Brick Cell with Walls 40 Centimetres Thick
The Abashiri Prison Museum Brick Solitary Cell (博物館網走監獄煉瓦造独居房) is a Meiji-era brick solitary cell 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 brick building with a tiled roof and a building area of 11 square metres, moved in 1991; registration number 01-0126.
Brick Walls 0.4 Metres Thick
The brick solitary cell of the Abashiri Prison Museum, built in 1912 and moved in 1991, is a single-storey gabled brick building with a pantiled roof, 3.74 by 2.83 metres (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Its English-bond walls are 0.4 metres thick, with doors at front and back. An anteroom behind iron bars lies at the front and a board-lined cell at the back (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Agency calls it a rare surviving Meiji-era penal building.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it as a model of design.
What to Look For
Look for the 0.4-metre English-bond walls and the barred anteroom (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 1991.
- How thick are the walls?
- 0.4 metres, in English bond.
- How is it laid out?
- A barred anteroom and a boarded cell.
- Why does it matter?
- It is a rare Meiji penal building.
- When was the Abashiri Prison Museum Brick Solitary Cell registered?
- On August 13, 2012 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Abashiri Prison Museum Brick Solitary Cell (博物館網走監獄煉瓦造独居房) |
|---|---|
| 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 brick, tiled roof, 11 m² |
| Owner | Abashiri Prison Preservation Foundation |
| Public Access | Open as the Abashiri Prison Museum (Abashiri Prison Museum) |
References
- Abashiri Prison Museum Brick Solitary Cell (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009251
- Abashiri Prison Museum (official website, in Japanese)
- https://www.kangoku.jp/
Last verified: 2026.10.26
