Abashiri Prison Museum is an open-air museum that preserves and exhibits the historic buildings of the former Abashiri Prison, along with tools, documents, and other objects dating from the Meiji period onward. It is the only prison museum of its kind in Japan, offering visitors a vivid look at the history of incarceration and prison life in northern Japan.
The museum’s principal buildings, including the former prison cells, chapel, and administrative office, were relocated and restored on the present site. Together, they provide a rare glimpse into the architecture and daily life of a Meiji-era prison.
One of the museum’s most remarkable features is the five-wing radial cell block. Five wooden, single-story wings extend outward from a central observation point, creating a distinctive radial design. It is the only surviving example of this type of structure in Japan and is an exceptionally valuable piece of historic prison architecture.
The five-wing cell block opened to the public in 1985 after being relocated and restored. As a prison facility, it is regarded as the oldest surviving structure of its kind in Japan, while its wooden prison architecture is considered the oldest surviving example in the world.
In 2010, the former prison materials museum was renovated and reopened as the Prison History Museum. Through sound, video, and interactive displays, visitors can explore the development of Japan’s prison system from the Meiji era to the modern period.
The museum also recreates both communal cells and individual cells from the present-day Abashiri Prison, allowing visitors to compare historical and contemporary prison environments.
Visitors can also learn about the food served to prisoners through Experience Prison Meals, a recreation of menus based on meals currently served at Abashiri Prison. The meal is offered for a limited period at the former Futamigaoka Prison Farm dining facility and the Prison Cafeteria.
Although the meal was originally designed to represent prison food, visitors who have tried it often remark that it is surprisingly good, making it an unusual and memorable part of the museum experience.
The museum’s origins lie in efforts to preserve the historic buildings of Abashiri Prison. In 1973, plans were announced to rebuild the prison, raising concerns that its valuable historic structures would be lost.
Hisashi Sato, the owner of the former Abashiri Shimbun newspaper, proposed relocating and preserving the prison buildings as a museum. Abashiri City, the Government of Hokkaido, the Ministry of Justice, and other organizations supported the idea, eventually leading to the establishment of a foundation dedicated to the project.
The foundation borrowed approximately 900 million yen to finance the relocation and restoration of the buildings. Sato even personally guaranteed the loan, helping make the ambitious concept of transforming former prison facilities into a museum a reality.
The foundation was officially approved in 1980, and Abashiri Prison Museum opened in 1983. In 1996, it was recognized as a registered museum.
In 2005, several buildings, including the chapel, five-wing radial cell block, and Futamigaoka Prison Farm, were designated Registered Tangible Cultural Properties. In 2016, these buildings were subsequently designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan, and their previous registered-property status was removed.
In 2008, the museum welcomed its 10 millionth visitor. The Prison History Museum opened following the 2010 renovation, further expanding the museum’s educational role.
In 2012, the Abashiri Prison Museum Foundation became a public interest incorporated foundation. Additional buildings, including the administrative office, brick solitary cells, guard stations, rear gate, and other structures, were also registered as Tangible Cultural Properties.
In 2014, reconstruction work on Kagami Bridge was completed. That same year, the museum was ranked among the Top 10 Popular Museums in Japan in TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice awards.
In February 2016, eight buildings belonging to two historic groups were designated Important Cultural Properties. These include three buildings from the Former Abashiri Prison: the administrative office, the cell block and central observation post, and the chapel.
Five buildings from the Former Futamigaoka Prison Branch and Prison Farm were also designated: the administrative office, cell block, chapel and dining hall, restraint-fitting facility, and kitchen.
The museum grounds contain a remarkable collection of relocated and reconstructed structures. Among them is Kagami Bridge, originally built in 1891 and reconstructed in 1994. It is approximately 29 meters long and 6 meters wide.
The reconstructed Main Gate represents a structure originally built in 1923. The relocated and restored Administrative Office, built in 1912, covers approximately 500 square meters and is designated an Important Cultural Property.
The Chapel, also dating from 1912, covers approximately 404.87 square meters. Another highlight is the five-wing radial building, originally constructed in 1912 and relocated and restored in 1985. It covers approximately 3,333.72 square meters.
Other buildings include a lodging facility, miso and soy sauce storehouse, agricultural storage building, pickling storehouse, bathhouse, freestanding solitary cell, brick solitary cells, guard stations, and an elevated watchtower approximately 8 meters high.
The museum also preserves the Former Futamigaoka Prison Farm, originally established in 1896. The building was relocated and restored in 1999 and covers approximately 1,933 square meters. The farm’s work environment has also been recreated to help visitors understand the role of agricultural labor in the prison system.
Additional exhibits include the former prison rear gate, a reconstructed water gate, a restored courtroom from the Abashiri Branch of the Kushiro District Court, and reconstructed housing for senior prison guards.
Abashiri Prison Museum offers a variety of educational programs designed to deepen visitors’ understanding of the site’s history. Seasonal activities include celebrations connected with Tango no Sekku, Tanabata, and the autumn moon-viewing tradition.
Hands-on workshops include agricultural experiences and other programs, while exhibitions feature collections of historical materials and photography. Special events include the Futamigaoka Lakeside Shrine Harvest Festival and sales exhibitions featuring products made through prison labor programs.
Visitors can join both free and paid guided tours. These tours provide additional historical background and help explain the architecture, exhibits, and daily lives of people who lived and worked within the prison system.
Abashiri Prison Museum is more than a collection of historic buildings. It is an important place for understanding the history of Abashiri, Hokkaido’s development, and Japan’s modern prison system.
The museum’s buildings and exhibits also reveal the harsh conditions faced by prisoners in northern Japan and the important role prison labor played in the development of Hokkaido. Through carefully preserved architecture, reconstructed environments, historical objects, and interactive programs, visitors can explore a lesser-known chapter of Japan’s modern history.
Abashiri Prison Museum is located on the hillside of Mount Tento, an area designated as a National Place of Scenic Beauty and included within Abashiri Quasi-National Park. The museum preserves former Abashiri Prison buildings and presents them as an open-air historical museum.
The combination of original and reconstructed buildings creates an unusually immersive setting. Walking through the cell blocks, administrative buildings, chapel, agricultural facilities, and guard stations gives visitors a much more tangible understanding of the environment than conventional displays alone.
Since its opening in 1983, Abashiri Prison Museum has become an important cultural and historical institution, preserving architectural heritage that might otherwise have disappeared.
For travelers interested in Japanese history, architecture, social history, and the development of Hokkaido, the museum offers a unique opportunity to step into the past and discover the stories behind one of the country’s most unusual historic sites.
9:00-17:00
Last admission 1 hour before closing
December 31 and January 1
Adults 1,500 yen
University and high school students 1,000 yen
750 yen for elementary and junior high school students
10 min. by bus or cab from JR Abashiri Station