TOKYO - An annual correctional exhibition was held at the Tokyo Detention House on September 27th, showcasing and selling products made by inmates as part of prison labor programs.
The event aims to deepen public understanding of correctional facilities and prison work. A total of 490 items, including daily necessities and furniture made by inmates nationwide, were displayed and sold, with part of the proceeds allocated to organizations supporting crime victims. Under the new custodial sentence system introduced this year, prison labor is no longer mandatory but carried out for rehabilitation and crime prevention purposes.
At the venue, a portable shrine made by inmates at Toyama Prison was offered for more than 1.23 million yen, while a hands-on corner allowed visitors to experience cloisonné enamel crafting from Kasamatsu Prison in Gifu Prefecture. One six-year-old child, struggling with the craft, admitted, "I can’t make it well. (Q: Is it difficult?) Yes." The child’s mother added, "I want to show my child that inmates also work hard like this."
The event also featured food prepared from detention house recipes, including “Prison Koppe” bread and “Prison Curry,” which drew a long line of eager visitors. One participant commented, "It tastes like the nostalgic curry you’d have at home."
By 2 p.m., about 8,000 people had visited the site. Television personality Shinji Uchiyama also took part in the event, serving as “one-day warden” of the Tokyo Detention House.
Source: TBS
