Radiating Cell Wings of a Meiji Prison
The Former Abashiri Prison (旧網走監獄) is Meiji-era timber prison buildings of 1912 in Yobito, Abashiri City, Hokkaido, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on February 9, 2016 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
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The Agency records three buildings of 1912, the administration building, the cell wings with the central watch post, and the chapel; designation number 02634.
A Prison Rebuilt in 1912
Abashiri Prison began in 1890 as the Abashiri outpost for convict labour and became Abashiri Prison under the prison regulations of 1903 (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Most of its buildings burned in 1909, and the present ones were rebuilt in 1912 to designs by the Ministry of Justice, constructed by the inmates themselves.
When the prison was rebuilt in modern form, the buildings were moved one by one to their present site from 1981 and are now open to the public as the Abashiri Prison Museum (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The Agency values the three buildings as the main facilities of the prison and rare survivors of Meiji timber prison architecture, and singles out the cell wings and watch post as the only complete timber radial cell block, with the features of a standard prison of the time.
Radiating Cell Wings
The three designated buildings are the administration building, the cell wings with their central watch post, and the chapel (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The cell wings, radiating from a central watch post, are the only timber radial cell block to survive complete.
What to Look For
Look for the cell corridors radiating from the central watch post and the 1912 administration building (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by the Abashiri Prison Preservation Foundation and open as the Abashiri Prison Museum (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 were they built?
- They were rebuilt in 1912.
- Who built them?
- Inmates, to Ministry of Justice designs.
- What is special about the cells?
- The only complete timber radial cell block.
- Can I visit?
- Yes, as the Abashiri Prison Museum.
- When was the Former Abashiri Prison designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On February 9, 2016 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Abashiri Prison (旧網走監獄) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1 Yobito, Abashiri City, Hokkaido |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 2016/02/09 (Heisei 28) |
| Quantity | 3 buildings |
| Dimensions | Cell wings and watch post: timber, 3,333.84 m² |
| Owner | Abashiri Prison Preservation Foundation |
| Public Access | Open as the Abashiri Prison Museum (Abashiri Prison Museum) |
References
- Former Abashiri Prison (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/00004830
- Abashiri Prison Museum (official website, in Japanese)
- https://www.kangoku.jp/
Last verified: 2026.10.26
Cultural Treasures in the Same Area
All are within walking distance in the same area, so we recommend visiting them together.
- Former Abashiri Prison Cell blocks and central guardhouse 0.00 km
- Former Abashiri Prison government building 0.07 km
- Former Abashiri Prison cathedral 0.13 km
