Abashiri Prison Museum

Abashiri Prison Museum is an outdoor history museum featuring buildings from Abashiri Prison that were actually used during the Meiji era, which have been relocated and restored. In addition to the radial five-wing single-story cell block designated as a National Important Cultural Property, approximately 25 buildings including a chapel and bathhouse are on display. The exhibits, which recreate the lives of inmates with life-sized figures, are realistic and powerful, allowing visitors to learn about the role prisoners played in Hokkaido's development and the harsh history of their labor. The attached cafeteria also offers the opportunity to experience the "prison food" that inmates actually ate.