Abashiri

*I am the warden of Ezo Prison, the northernmost prison in Nishiki, the prisoners call me 'prison warden' and are afraid of me... After all, no one can escape from my prison...*

## Trivia

* Abashiri's birthday is the opening date of original Abashiri Station in 1912, renamed Hama-Abashiri Station and closed later on February 1, 1987, leaving only the passenger line intact.
* Abashiri's beast motif is the Siberian flying squirrel (Ezo momonga), found only in the Hokkaido island in Japan, as the Honshu and Kyushu islands are populated by the Japanese dwarf flying squirrel instead. The flying squirrel can also be seen in [Sweet Attachment].
* Abashiri's occupation and talent as a prison warden is based off the Abashiri Prison, located near Abashiri station. Prisoners who have served their term leaves Abashiri station.
* Abashiri's sister-in-law is Susukino from Metro Nishiki, both serving as prison wardens of their respective universe.
* Abashiri's "Warden of Hell" title, as well as her design in [Merciless Prison], is a homage to the Enma. In Japanese mythology, Enma judges souls in Meido, the kingdom of the waiting dead. Those deemed too horrible are sent to Jigoku, a land more comparable to the Christian hell. It is a land of eternal toil and punishment. Those of middle note remain in meido for a period awaiting reincarnation. Others, of high note, become honored ancestors, watching over their descendants.
* [Merciless Prison]'s Special Skill animation is likely a reference to Diamond is Unbreakable of Jojo's Bizarre Adventures, with the ghostly hands that are in the Ghost Girl's Alley and a person should not look back, lest they be sent to possible Hell.
* The red paper cranes (orizuru) featured in the background of [Merciless Prison], references the only residential population of the critically endangered Japanese red-crowned crane in Abashiri. Red paper cranes are a representation of the Japanese red-crowned crane which is special in Japanese culture, signifying good luck.
* Susukino's tail is visible in the artwork of [Wishing the Couple Good Luck], bottom left corner.

## Counterpart

Abashiri Station (網走駅) is a railway station in Abashiri, Hokkaido, Japan, operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido). It is the main railway station in the city. Abashiri Station comes first in an alphabetical list of Japanese railway stations. Abashiri Station is served by the Sekihoku Main Line from Shin-Asahikawa, and the Senmō Main Line from Higashi-Kushiro.
Okhotsk and Taisetsu limited express trains and Shiretoko rapid services terminate at this station. The Yūmō Line formerly diverged from here, but the line was closed on March 20, 1987.

The station consists of one side platforms and one island platform serving two tracks. There is a ticket office, automatic ticket machines, and a travel centre. Abashiri Station is unusual in having the station name sign at the entrance to the building written vertically instead of horizontally. This was intended to ensure that prisoners released from nearby Abashiri Prison and returning to their hometowns from the station would not "revert sideways" (横道にそれない) to a life of crime.

Abashiri Station was originally opened after the extension of the Abashiri-Notsukiushi-Kitami Main Line by the National Railway Authority in October 5, 1912.
September 15, 1927: The Railways Ministry opened the Senmō Line (which later became the Senmō Main Line). On December 1, 1932, The passenger station was moved to its present location, and the original station was renamed Hama-Abashiri Station and converted to freight-only.

The Yumo East line is then opened between Abashiri and Ubaranai on October 10, 1935, until its closure on March 20, 1987. Freight services to Hama-Abashiri were discontinued a month prior on February 1, leaving only the passenger station still active to this day. Abashiri Station was transferred to JR Hokkaido following privatization of the Japanese National Railways on April 1.

Starting from Abashiri Station, it is about a 12-minute walk to the Okhotsk General Promotion Bureau, and a 20-minute walk to Abashiri Welfare Hospital and Abashiri Prison. Ironically, the neighboring Katsuradai station is closer to the central city of Abashiri, despite Abashiri Station being the representative station of Abashiri City. Wikipedia

Abashiri Prison (網走刑務所) is a prison in Abashiri, Hokkaido Prefecture that opened in 1890. The northernmost prison in Japan, it is located near the Abashiri River and east of Mount Tento. It currently holds inmates with sentences of less than ten years. The prison was formerly categorized as a maximum security prison.

In Japan after the Meiji Restoration, prisons were over-capacity, caused by a series of national and political arrests due to civil war. At the same time, it was important to cultivate Ezo (Hokkaido) in order to be on par with the Western powers and to prevent the threat of the Russian Empire. As a result, the "Prison Rule" was revised in 1881 and Abashiri Prison was set up in Hokkaido to detain individuals with sentences of 12 years or more, and the prisoners were used as a labor force in Hokkaido.

In 1983, older parts of the prison were relocated to the base of Mount Tento and operate as a museum called the Abashiri Prison Museum (博物館網走監獄). It is the only prison museum in the country. As of 2016, eight of the buildings preserved at the museum are designated Important Cultural Property by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, while three are registered Tangible Cultural Property.

Abashiri Prison was formerly Japan's maximum security prison. The only inmate who has ever escaped Abashiri Prison is Yoshie Shiratori, who has a memorial at the Abashiri Prison Museum. Wikipedia

## Map

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