Abashiri is a city of approximately 40,000 inhabitants on the coast of Hokkaido, about Shiretoko National Park. The greater attraction tourist of the city is the Museum of the prison and the observation of el Mar of Okhost frozen during the winter.
Abashiri prison was built in 1890 to confine the most dangerous prisoners in the country. The prison became famous when it was the scene for the movie made by Ishii Teruo on the yakuza in the 1960s. Today you can visit the old prison buildings, converted into a museum. The Museum reproduces the daily life of prisoners, with more than one dozen of the former prison buildings: the room where held trials, the bath-house and the room of punishments. The new Abashiri jail nearby: at the foot of Mt. Tento. There is no doubt that for a prison, the enclave is wonderful: surrounded by lakes, lush forests and the sea of Okhost.
You can have lunch in the museum itself, in the Futamigaoka restaurant “menu of the convicted person”. If you want to visit it, every 30 minutes bus from the central station of Abashiri (220Y).
Sea ice of Othosk at the end of June already begins to freeze, until the end of March or mid-April. If you want to visit the area and observe the large blocks of ice, February is the best time. Due to global warming of the planet, the layer of ice that forms is less thick each year. One of the best ways to visit the area is the ships Aurora, operating daily from June to April, with departures every hour approximately. (3. 000Y). from the bus station you can use this means of transport to the area of shipping company Aurora (250Y) also can appreciate the views of this great sea ice if you take the train from Abashiri to Shiretoko, with panoramic Windows so that travellers can enjoy the visual spectacle.
Tags: Altamira Municipality Tamaulipas, Hokkaido, Ishii Teruo, Mexico, Museum, Prison, Shiretoko National Park, Tamaulipas