長野刑務所, building in Suzaka, Nagano Prefecture, Japan
Nagano Prison (長野刑務所) is a correctional facility in Suzaka, in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. The building has thick walls and heavy metal gates, and houses workshops where inmates carry out activities such as woodworking and sewing.
The prison was founded during the Meiji era, a period when Japan was modernizing its criminal justice system along Western lines. Over the following decades, vocational training programs were gradually built into the daily life of the facility.
Nagano Prison opens its doors during special events where handmade goods produced by inmates are offered for sale. These products, including wooden furniture and textiles, give visitors a direct sense of the craft work carried out daily behind the walls.
The facility is not generally open to the public but does open its gates to visitors during specific events held throughout the year. It is worth checking in advance, as visiting conditions and photography rules can vary depending on the occasion.
Nagano Prison is one of the few prisons in Japan that allows the public to buy products made directly by inmates, including furniture crafted using traditional Japanese joinery techniques. These joinery techniques are passed down from one group of inmates to the next within the prison walls.
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