Abashiri Prison Museum

Must visit, must see. The main purpose of coming to Abashiri. Please read the history below.

History:
In April 1890, the Meiji government sent over a thousand political prisoners to the isolated Abashiri village and forced them to build roads linking it to the more populous south. Initial conditions were extremely harsh, with insufficient food and rest, and over 200 prisoners died of malnutrition, accidents and as punishment for attempting to escape. Abashiri Prison later became known for being a self-sufficient farming prison, and was cited as a model for others throughout Japan.

Most of the prison burned down in a 1909 fire, but it was reconstructed in 1912. Previously known as Abashiri Kangoku (網走監獄), it took on its current name in 1922. In 1984, the prison moved to a modern reinforced concrete complex.

In 1983, older parts of the prison were relocated to the base of Mount Tento and operate as a museum called the Abashiri Prison Museum (博物館網走監獄). It is the only prison museum in the country. As of 2016, eight of the buildings preserved at the museum are designated Important Cultural Property by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, while three are registered Tangible Cultural Property.

Could have spent the whale day, very well made, interesting history explained in detail!

I came here in winter, 2020.
Just little scared because there's a lot of statue.
But, the view is amazing. Beautiful scenery.
The museum is so wide.

Interesting place to visit and understand a little more about the Japanese culture. Worth to spend 2-3 hrs to walk through the entire compound.

Very interesting place to visit. If you are in the area, you should definitely stop by (though you probably already on your way).
It is well made, and show the brutal history of this place. You should dedication some time here if you decide to stop by.

We learned more about history of Hokkaido exploration.
The organization put a lot of effort to maintain the place and educate visitors.

its interesting museum of how the prisoners build a road and explain about the prisoners treatment was so hard. about why they build this road

The place looks lovely but also it's a great tour to learn 19th century Japanese frontier.

What a fantastic museum! It’s so well maintained and some of the exhibits are too real. There is sound and visual. I’m glad I came here!

Surprisingly interactive and informative. Also really enjoyed the traditional prison food you can try at their cafe! Really nice way to spend a rainy day.

A little off beat but provides a facinating insight into a unique part of Japanese history.

If you are a fan of GOLDEN KAMUY! This is place is the best! Abashiri, looks just like the anime.

Gives a lot of context to the history of the prison and the prisoners. Thought the mixing of the original architecture and the mock ups were nicely done to give visitors a complete experience. Unfortunately not all of the museum were friendly to non japanese reading visitors. Tourist be sure to claim an online discount at the ticketing office by showing the relevant screen off your mobile.

Very interesting museum that gives insight not only into the history of the prison but also Hokkaido as a whole. English signage and explanations are available for most parts of the exhibits. Definitely worth the visit!

If you are visiting this place, you should schedule more time, at least half a day.
The bus from abashiri station to the museum is not frequent so you will be likely to be losing 1 hr before and 1 hr after visiting the museum. The museum itself is very big and you would like to spend more time there. If you need to catch the train afterwards, you better check out the bus schedule before scheduling your train. There is a visitor centre right beside the station and you will be able to get the bus schedule there.
There is a building you can test on the prisoner clothes and take pictures free of charge.

Fun place even for kids especially if it's a wet day outside. Narrations are available in English and Japanese.

VERY interesting place to get some lectures on the history in Hokkaido. Some may find the museum a little scary with very realistic mannequins

That is an amazing museum, and a real, fantastic looking prison from Meiji era! I loved it and wished it was abandoned, overgrown, with no tourists.

You would expect a typical prison museum from its exhibition. But it’s more than that. It tells a story of how Hokkaido was rapidly developed and transformed through the sacrifices from the prisoners. Great visit to learn a lot about Hokkaido’s history. A must visit.

This was a wonderful museum. We really enjoyed it. We drove all the way to Abashiri after watching Kento Bento's video on the escape escapades of Shiratori.