A Guardhouse with Cloud-Shaped Trim
The Abashiri Prison Museum West Gate Guardhouse (博物館網走監獄西門哨舎) is the west gate guardhouse that checked tradesmen in and out 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 01-0129.
Cloud-Shaped Trim under the Eaves
The west gate guardhouse of 1912, moved in 1992, stood at the west gate of Abashiri Prison, mainly checking tradesmen in and out (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
A hexagonal timber structure with an iron-sheet roof, it has a door on one side, sliding windows on the other five and boarded lower walls; cloud-shaped trim at the foot of the bargeboards shows care in its details (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it as a model of design.
What to Look For
Look for the cloud-shaped trim at the foot of the bargeboards (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?
- Checking tradesmen at the west gate.
- What shape is it?
- Hexagonal.
- What detail stands out?
- Cloud-shaped trim under the eaves.
- When was the Abashiri Prison Museum West Gate Guardhouse registered?
- On August 13, 2012 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Abashiri Prison Museum West Gate Guardhouse (博物館網走監獄西門哨舎) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-2 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 West Gate Guardhouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009254
- Abashiri Prison Museum (official website, in Japanese)
- https://www.kangoku.jp/
Last verified: 2026.10.26
