Abashiri Prison Collection
Abashiri Prison Collection
Constructed in the late nineteenth century to house political prisoners, Japan's infamous Abashiri Prison served as the inspiration for a popular and prolific run of yakuza movies released between 1965 and 1972.

Abashiri Prison (1965)

18 April, 1965
Abashiri Prison is located in the coldest place in Japan. Two men, handcuffed together have escaped from the prison, one a yakuza, the other a petty criminal, and although they hate each other they must work together if they are to evade capture in this harshest of climates.

A Story from Abashiri Prison—Duel in Snow Storm (1967)

23 December, 1967
Convict son revenges innocent father's death.

Prison Walls of Abashiri, Part 2 (1965)

10 July, 1965
Two convicts just released from prison find a green bauble filled with diamonds — and try to prove they didn't steal it.

Prison Walls of Abashiri 3 (1965)

31 October, 1965
Upon returning to his hometown of Nagasaki, recently released prisoner Tachibana Shinichi must rejoin the Asahi gang family in order to pay back a past debt. Trouble brews when the rival gang that was responsible for sending him to prison learns of his return. Left with no alternative to their constant harassment and threats, Tachibana decides to take them on.

Prison Walls of Abashiri 4 (1965)

31 December, 1965
A gripping tale of friendship set against the backdrop of Hokkaido. Shinichi sets out to earn a few honest dollars with which to bail a friend out of jail.

Abashiri Prison: Duel in the South (1966)

13 August, 1966
This is the sixth film in the "Abashiri Series," based on an original idea by Hajime Ito, and written and directed by Teruo Ishii of "Operation Big Bad" fame. The film was shot by Kiichi Inada, who also worked with Ito.

Abashiri Prison: Duel in the Snow Country (1966)

31 December, 1966
Based on Ito Hajime's original story, this is the seventh installment in the "Bangaichi" series, adapted jointly by Kamba Fumio and Matsuda Hiroo, and directed by Ishii Teruo of "Kamba 101: Killing Bouncer" fame. The film was shot by Kiichi Inada, who also directed "Abashiri Bangaichi: Confrontation in the South" in the same series.

The Bullet and the Horse (1966)

23 April, 1966
A number of recently released prisoners become involved in a racket with a rancher who is a rival to a neighboring landowner and wants to use the convicts to seize his ranch. The rancher does not know, however, that he had years before killed the parents of one of their number.