Only in Japan
Welcome to the "Abashiri Keimusho, Abashiri prison" .
This one has since been retired and has been turned into a museum
the new prison a couple of kilometers away
But what is great about this is. It gives you an inside glimpse into everyday life at a Japanese prison
Abashiri is in northern Hokkaido on the sea of okhotsk
It's famous for its prison, this is the current prison which began operations in the mid-1980s
Inmates have lighter sentences here not exceeding eight years
A couple kilometers away is the old Abashiri prison opened in 1890 where the harshest sentences in Japan was served
Looks warm in summer, but the winters can be downright treacherous when an average is minus 10 degrees Celsius in February
But it's also famous for one other thing, right? That's right pal it has real prison food real food
Abashiri is the only place where you can try the same prison meals the inmates received. Enjoy your meal, Sir
The "Bangaichi Shokudo" diner is where you can experience a true Japanese prison meal
It's considered a secret meal because these meals were only eaten behind the walls until recently.
These manikins are inside the prison cafeteria showing how inmates used to eat lunch between work shifts
But most meals were served in their cells
This is some good eaten. Miso soup is out straight better than my wife's cooking
That'll be sure
This is the current prison in operation and their meals are brought to them and eaten in their cells
There's a special opening to serve the meals. A good meal can make prison life a little more bearable
This is a private cell much prized in the prison. The inmates eat like this makes you wonder if it's better than school lunches
In a past episode I featured school lunches, and I was surprised at how healthy and nutritious the set menus were
With attention paid to caloric intake for energy for
The prison meals it's the same, but how does it really taste the "Bangaichi Shokudo" has two prison meal sets available A and B
Let's go inside and grab a seat
The diner is made of wood with high ceilings like the original prison cafeteria
I ordered both sets to try and the staff went to work grilling the fish and preparing the dishes
Here's what I got first meal set A, the Pacific saury or Sanma set
The grilled saury fish the centerpiece
So this is authentic Japanese prison food,
this is the only place in Japan where you can eat it, and you can see its
It just looks really healthy you have
The Mugi Gohan, the barley rice you have Miso soup you have two kinds of salads
And you have this piece of fish which is Sanma that looks so good
The Sanma or salary is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside
natural oils giving a pleasing mouthful oh
The Sanma is perfectly grilled. It's salted. It has a side of grated Daikon or Japanese radish too it
Goes together really well
Normally, there is no Miso soup at the prisons. Instead inmates get a strong coarse tea. Don't eat the tail unless you want to try
The infirmary as part of your escape plan
But I know in Japan is famous for its cuisine having some of the best in the world
But if this is prison food I can eat this every day
Before you start thinking Japanese prisons are soft. Here's the schedule three meals a day with a variety
And here are three sample meals can you tell which is breakfast lunch and dinner?
Ramen. curry rice, Italian pasta, macaroni salad, fried shrimp and various grilled fishes all make up a week sample menu
The daily schedule is very strict allowing for only 20 minutes to eat your meals
The days are filled with work except 2 hours in the evening before bed
Cells have black-and-white TV, a Futon and toilet
The shared rooms are larger, but without the privacy
It may be better than a Penitentiary in your country, but it's still a hard life
Here's prison meal be the Atka Mackerel or "Hokke" set
The mackerel is a beautiful piece of fish called "Hokke" in Japanese
Boiled greens with fried Tofu mountain potato with dried bonito fish flakes
The Hokke looks and smells fantastic
I like how you can take the bones off real easily
But once again the fish is just so so tender it's cooked perfectly
So I guess we could say that this is some of the healthiest prison food
Which might make it the best prison food in the world?
Prison meal time is certainly a moment
I'd look forward to if I were ever incarcerated but Abashiri in North Hokkaido is a rough place
Especially in winter and the inmates here was some of the hardest criminals in the country
Takahashi-san, can you scrub my back? Hey keep it down in the back?
When you cross the bridge to enter Abashiri prison your life was pretty much over
This museum is one of the most fascinating in Japan here at the building houses the prison cells has a unique shape
In the center where they all connected was a lookout for the prison guards
So from this point in the prison you can see all five corridors
So the security guard on duty had a very good vantage point
It would be hard to get past the guards unless you were this guy up there see him. Hey buddy up here
You got a file
That's Yoshie Shiratori,
the only man to have ever escaped from Abashiri prison in fact
He had escaped Japanese prisons four times one of the most celebrated anti-heroes in Japan
Here's his room his floorboards were reinforced so he couldn't go under
So how did he escape from his cell?
In 1944 he rusted the handcuffs in cell inspection window with Miso soup
Weakening the iron the salt in the Miso soup made the iron brittle and breakable
When the time was right he broke free and climbed through a broken window in the roof
Yoshie Shiratori's story itself is worth a visit to the museum
Yep, Miso soup brah bet you'd never think of that
The prison had many unique features like the windows which were slanted so inmates could only see one way
They couldn't see the guards coming
There's a house in the museum with movies and interactive exhibits that allows you to really take in the history of the prison
Toddle I can't see where I'm going well. It ain't to see the warden's wife
unfortunately
It was the inmates who built the road up to Abashiri in the Meiji era
Many died in the forests cutting down trees pushed at a relentless schedule
Those that survived had a home at the prison at the end of the road
And the museum allows you to try these feats of strength for yourself
One of the most fascinating parts of the prison museum is a wing where you could enter new prison cells and
Experience what the slammer is like for yourself
Just make sure you keep the door open behind you oh you may be there for a while
Come for the food and stick around for the prison for five to ten hours. That is
Next time we'll learn the secret of long life in Japan is there a secret and if so will my
106 year-old friend tell us I
Traveled to Tottori prefecture to find out