James Moar
@jamesmoar.bsky.social
Done with the prison pictures. This is a food picture I forgot coming back via London. Visited Gulmi, a new Nepalese in Woolwich, and had Taas Lamb, marinated lamb with puffed rice. Ordered a bowl of pilau on the side since the waitress was adamant it’d be too dry on its own, though it was fine.
December 18, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Done with the prison pictures. This is a food picture I forgot coming back via London. Visited Gulmi, a new Nepalese in Woolwich, and had Taas Lamb, marinated lamb with puffed rice. Ordered a bowl of pilau on the side since the waitress was adamant it’d be too dry on its own, though it was fine.
The Prison Museum Cafeteria serves what it says are the same meals served in the modern Abashiri Prison. These are a piece of either saury or mackerel with barley rice and pickles. Customers get miso soup where the prisoners get coarse tea. More randomly, you can have loco moco instead.
December 18, 2025 at 2:57 PM
The Prison Museum Cafeteria serves what it says are the same meals served in the modern Abashiri Prison. These are a piece of either saury or mackerel with barley rice and pickles. Customers get miso soup where the prisoners get coarse tea. More randomly, you can have loco moco instead.
The prison’s lecture hall. Originally mainly used for Buddhist lectures (by the Pure Land sect) which were seem as part of reconfirming to society, in a more liberal postwar environment it was occasionally used for things like concerts.
December 18, 2025 at 2:49 PM
The prison’s lecture hall. Originally mainly used for Buddhist lectures (by the Pure Land sect) which were seem as part of reconfirming to society, in a more liberal postwar environment it was occasionally used for things like concerts.
A solitary confinement box, enforcing even harsher conditions than the row of indoor solitary cells. I *think* this one has enough room to lie down in, there’s a couple more which were smaller.
December 18, 2025 at 2:45 PM
A solitary confinement box, enforcing even harsher conditions than the row of indoor solitary cells. I *think* this one has enough room to lie down in, there’s a couple more which were smaller.
The prison bathhouse — even with a short regimented schedule of use, it’s something the prisoners looked forward to. The elaborate tattoos on some of the mannequins is implying they’re Yakuza.
December 18, 2025 at 2:42 PM
The prison bathhouse — even with a short regimented schedule of use, it’s something the prisoners looked forward to. The elaborate tattoos on some of the mannequins is implying they’re Yakuza.
The prison museum also had mockups of cells from the modern Abashiri Prison (not photographable). These had tatami flooring and rollup futons for bedding. The idea of a restricted view for prisoners persists — they had only two small reinforced-glass windows, both looking into the corridor.
December 18, 2025 at 2:37 PM
The prison museum also had mockups of cells from the modern Abashiri Prison (not photographable). These had tatami flooring and rollup futons for bedding. The idea of a restricted view for prisoners persists — they had only two small reinforced-glass windows, both looking into the corridor.
Solitary confinement cells, of slightly later design than the others. Sorry this photo is a bit blurred.
December 18, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Solitary confinement cells, of slightly later design than the others. Sorry this photo is a bit blurred.
One of the cells. These older cells were built with slatted diagonal wooden bars, which meant that the wardens could see into each cells, but prisoners couldn’t see across to other cells.
December 18, 2025 at 2:21 PM
One of the cells. These older cells were built with slatted diagonal wooden bars, which meant that the wardens could see into each cells, but prisoners couldn’t see across to other cells.
The main cellhouse of the old prison was built in a semi-panopticon style — there were five long corridors of cells branching off a central room, where this observation box stood.
December 18, 2025 at 2:14 PM
The main cellhouse of the old prison was built in a semi-panopticon style — there were five long corridors of cells branching off a central room, where this observation box stood.
The prison’s Shinto shrine.
December 18, 2025 at 2:09 PM
The prison’s Shinto shrine.
An example of a temporary building set up for prisoners on assignment — besides the farming, they were also put to hard labour such as roadbuilding.
December 18, 2025 at 2:06 PM
An example of a temporary building set up for prisoners on assignment — besides the farming, they were also put to hard labour such as roadbuilding.
Barrels and other equipment for making miso. Abashiri was historically a farming prison which aimed at self-sufficiency, and miso would be an obvious product to include.
December 18, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Barrels and other equipment for making miso. Abashiri was historically a farming prison which aimed at self-sufficiency, and miso would be an obvious product to include.
The magistrate’s office the prison was run from. In the present, an exhibition hall with museum shop and cafe.
December 18, 2025 at 1:59 PM
The magistrate’s office the prison was run from. In the present, an exhibition hall with museum shop and cafe.
The prison museum’s gatehouse — as with most of the buildings, it was moved to the museum site when the real prison a few miles away was reconstructed in the 60s.
December 18, 2025 at 1:55 PM
The prison museum’s gatehouse — as with most of the buildings, it was moved to the museum site when the real prison a few miles away was reconstructed in the 60s.
While Abashiri isn’t the northernmost point of Japan — there’s a spur of Hokkaido to the west that goes about a hundred miles further north — it’s already far enough from the centre of the country to be intimidatingly distant, and along a coast that gets regular sea ice.
December 18, 2025 at 1:52 PM
While Abashiri isn’t the northernmost point of Japan — there’s a spur of Hokkaido to the west that goes about a hundred miles further north — it’s already far enough from the centre of the country to be intimidatingly distant, and along a coast that gets regular sea ice.
One bit of my Hokkaido trip I didn’t get round to putting up pictures for was the visit to the Abashiri Prison Museum, so I think I’ll do that now.
December 18, 2025 at 1:49 PM
One bit of my Hokkaido trip I didn’t get round to putting up pictures for was the visit to the Abashiri Prison Museum, so I think I’ll do that now.
Lunch at Pizza Pilgrims on the way to the airport. Had pizza with sausage, sautéed broccoletti, and smoked mozzarella.
December 15, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Lunch at Pizza Pilgrims on the way to the airport. Had pizza with sausage, sautéed broccoletti, and smoked mozzarella.
Travelling up to Orkney tomorrow for my Christmas holiday.
December 14, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Travelling up to Orkney tomorrow for my Christmas holiday.
Airport lunch. Miso ramen with pork-rib meat. Slurping this down while waiting for my gate.
November 18, 2025 at 3:34 AM
Airport lunch. Miso ramen with pork-rib meat. Slurping this down while waiting for my gate.
Smaller Gundam models, showing the main robot for the protagonist of pretty much every series. The main robot tends to be the base model for the series, setting the basic aesthetic for the series with similar colouring to other main Gundams, while supporting robots can get a bit weirder with it.
November 18, 2025 at 3:31 AM
Smaller Gundam models, showing the main robot for the protagonist of pretty much every series. The main robot tends to be the base model for the series, setting the basic aesthetic for the series with similar colouring to other main Gundams, while supporting robots can get a bit weirder with it.
Gundam and Zaku statues at the airport. About 6 feet tall, or 1/10th ‘actual’ size.
November 18, 2025 at 3:19 AM
Gundam and Zaku statues at the airport. About 6 feet tall, or 1/10th ‘actual’ size.
Hotel breakfast just before leaving.
November 18, 2025 at 3:18 AM
Hotel breakfast just before leaving.
Okay, time to get on with my last few sorting-things-out tasks before flying back tomorrow.
November 17, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Okay, time to get on with my last few sorting-things-out tasks before flying back tomorrow.
One place I didn’t go to is Wakkanai, at the northernmost tip of Hokkaido. Am reminded of the apocryphal stories about asking a local for the name of a place or animal, being told “I don’t know” and writing that down.
November 17, 2025 at 1:34 PM
One place I didn’t go to is Wakkanai, at the northernmost tip of Hokkaido. Am reminded of the apocryphal stories about asking a local for the name of a place or animal, being told “I don’t know” and writing that down.