Abashiri City 網走市

Hokkaidô

Abashiri is a city with a population of about 35,000 and the administrative center of Okhotsk Subprefecture on the northeast coast of Hokkaidô. The city is best known for its Meiji-era (1868-1912) prison used for the incarceration of political prisoners. Today, only a museum stands on the site; the old prison has been replaced by a new high-security wing. The Abashiri River flows through the city and there are three lakes (Lake Abashiri, Lake Notoro, Lake Tōfutsu) in the city as well. The lakes and Mount Tento belong to Abashiri Quasi-National Park.