Abashiri Penitentiary (網走刑務所, Abashiri Keimusho) is a prison complex on the Japanese island of Hokkaido. It appears in Yakuza 5. It is based off the real life Abashiri Prison, the northernmost prison in Japan.
Overview[]
Abashiri Penitentiary is noted to have bad conditions, including bad food. However, many inmates say that it is nothing compared to Okinawa Penitentiary No. 2. The only cell shown in Abashiri is one that holds 4 people, with a tatami floor and basic necessities such as tools to clean the room, a sink, and toothbrushes. There are also barred windows. Right before lights-out, guards come over to hand over the daily newspaper to inmates. The inmates are also given things like books and decks of cards. In the afternoon, there is a break period in the prison yard. Solitary confinement is shown to be dirtier, with the rooms shown to be empty save from a squat toilet in the corner. Prisoners also have jobs, including woodworking and working with leather. The leather jobs, however, are abandoned in 2010 as leather starts becoming unprofitable.
History[]
Yakuza 5[]
Taiga Saejima is imprisoned here during the beginning part of the game. He escapes with cellmate Shigeki Baba after finding out about a conspiracy to have his parole denied. The prison's deputy warden Seiji Kosaka is sympathetic to the men, and helps them escape.
The town of Abashiri, based off the real town of the same name in Hokkaido, is known, both in-game and in real life, mainly for the prison. However, the town also has cultural products such as nipopo dolls.
Within Abashiri, one of the most powerful figures is the old man Saejima goes to get help from, who notes that he has many friends inside the prison, including guards, but also many enemies.
6 months before Saejima is eventually released by deputy warden Seiji Kosaka, Hiroshi Kugihara is sent to Abashiri to make sure Saejima's parole is extended. He starts torturing Saejima weekly. However, this does not go through, but Saejima's parole is denied anyways by the Ministry of Justice. When the warden of Abashiri attempted to contact the ministry as to why this decision was carried out, he was killed at Sapporo Airport. At the same time, over a hundred new inmates are inexplicably sent to the prison. As a result, Kosaka decides to let Saejima and his associate, Shigeki Baba, out. That night, as Saejima and Baba make their escape, the inmates sent in fight them. They kill a guard in the middle of the yard, and Kugihara stabs Kosaka.
Judgment[]
- Main article: Burger Fugitive
Tatsuya Gamo escapes from Abashiri due to his desperation to have a burger from Smile Burger in Kamurocho. He is sent back after Takayuki Yagami defeats him in battle and reports him to the authorities.
Gallery[]
