ABASHIRI PRISON MUSEUM

The Abashiri Prison Museum is an open-air history museum. The buildings, which served as the prison since the Meiji era (1868-1912), are preserved and open to the public. The oldest building was built about 120 years ago. The logs were sawn into planks by the inmates without the aid of machinery, hence the rough finish on the surface of the thick beams and pillars. It is famous in Japan, especially thanks to the TV series Abashiri Bangaichi.