Abashiri, Japan

Abashiri is a small city on the northern coast of Hokkaido, Japan. Once unimaginably far in the back of beyond, the name Abashiri used to strike terror into the hearts of suspected lawbreakers: it was the site of Japans first maximum-security prison, built in 1890 when the enlightened Meiji era decided to copy Western ways instead of simply executing convicted criminals. Enlightenment in this case, however, translated into backbreaking hard labor mostly road construction and, for difficult cases like political prisoners, unheated cells in a region where winter temperatures often fall below -20 degrees C -4 degrees F. The prison was finally closed, aptly enough, in 1984, but a newly constructed prison continues the tradition. Today's Abashiri is an unattractive modern town filled with the implements and smells of its largest industry, fishing. To most Japanese, Abashiri is as synonymous with the word prison as Alcatraz is to Westerners. Mention of the prison (still in operation) once sent chills through the spines of even the most hardened criminals. Winters here are as harsh as they come, yet this is exactly why the area's become a tourist attraction. Looking out at a snow-white plain of frozen ice floes is a surreal experience, and the sound of icebergs grinding together from the force of the sea's currents make a deep impression on all who hear it. Appreciation for nature's grandness, even for its bleakness, is very Japanese. The town's economy now depends on fishing, tourism and trade with Russia, its nearest neighbour. The closest major city to Shiretoko, Abashiri is a good hub for hikers but the winter ice floes, the September coral grass, its Abashiri Prison Museum (not to be confused with the prison itself) and its Northern Peoples' Museum are also worthwhile. In the dead of winter, when up to 80% of the sea is ice-clogged, Aurora icebreaker sightseeing boats (;43-6000) depart four to six times a day from Abashiri port for one-hour cruises (¥3000) into the Sea of Okhotsk. In summer, the northern coastal areas are a pretty, easy walk, perfect for photography, with lots of sand dollars and other small shells.