A Guard Post at the Mirror Bridge
The Abashiri Prison Museum Kagami Bridge Entrance Guardhouse (博物館網走監獄鏡橋入口哨舎) is a hexagonal guard post at the entrance to the Kagami Bridge 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 3.2 square metres, moved in 1992; registration number 01-0127.
A Hexagonal Post Watching Every Way
The Kagami Bridge entrance guardhouse of 1912, moved in 1992, originally stood at the entrance to the Kagami (Mirror) Bridge, watching visitors and inmates (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
A hexagonal timber structure with an iron-sheet roof, it has a door on one side and sliding windows on the other five, allowing a watch in every direction (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Agency calls it one of the small buildings that made up Abashiri Prison.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it as a model of design.
What to Look For
Look for the hexagonal plan with one door and five sliding 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.
- Where was it first?
- At the entrance to the Kagami Bridge.
- What was it for?
- Watching visitors and inmates.
- How are the windows arranged?
- A door on one side, windows on five.
- When was the Abashiri Prison Museum Kagami Bridge Entrance Guardhouse registered?
- On August 13, 2012 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Abashiri Prison Museum Kagami Bridge Entrance Guardhouse (博物館網走監獄鏡橋入口哨舎) |
|---|---|
| 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, 3.2 m² |
| Owner | Abashiri Prison Preservation Foundation |
| Public Access | Open as the Abashiri Prison Museum (Abashiri Prison Museum) |
References
- Abashiri Prison Museum Kagami Bridge Entrance Guardhouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009252
- Abashiri Prison Museum (official website, in Japanese)
- https://www.kangoku.jp/
Last verified: 2026.10.26
