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Drift ice off Abashiri, HokkaidoPhoto: 221.20 (talk) / Public domain

Golden Kamuy in Abashiri: 2 Days from Memanbetsu Airport

  • 2 days
  • Memanbetsu Airport (MMB) round trip

At a glance

Fares & tickets (adult)
About ¥5,700
The airport bus both ways (about ¥2,100), the Tentozan bus to both museums and back (about ¥1,500), the Prison Museum (¥1,500) and the Museum of Northern Peoples (about ¥550). Add about ¥7,000 for the drift ice cruise in winter. Flights are extra.
Best time to go
Late January to March for drift ice and snow, like the story's winter. Summer is green and mild.
Closing days
The Prison Museum closes only on December 31 and January 1. The Museum of Northern Peoples is closed on Mondays (the next weekday after a Monday holiday) and over New Year.
Walking (our estimate)
Light to moderate: roughly 3–6 km a day, much of it around the open-air prison buildings. Icy in winter.

First time in Japan? Read our first-timer's guide

Abashiri Prison is where much of Golden Kamuy's first half is heading, and the real prison buildings from the Meiji era survive as an open-air museum on a hill outside Abashiri. The museum cooperated in filming the live-action movie set at the prison. This short route flies into Memanbetsu Airport, spends the first afternoon on Mt. Tento learning about the peoples of the north, and gives the second morning to the prison museum before the flight home.

Your booking checklist

Four things to book before you go.

Partner links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How we choose

The route

  1. 1Abashiri Prison Museum · Abashiri, Hokkaido

Day by day

Times, fares and opening hours are approximate. Check the official pages under Sources before you go (last checked September 18, 2026).

Day 1

Memanbetsu Airport → Abashiri → Mt. Tento

Airport bus into Abashiri, the Museum of Northern Peoples, a night by Lake Abashiri.

  1. Late morning

    Memanbetsu Airport → Abashiri

    Flights from Tokyo Haneda and Sapporo land at Memanbetsu. The Abashiri Bus airport line, timed to flights, reaches Abashiri Bus Terminal and Abashiri Station in about 30–40 min (about ¥1,050).

  2. Afternoon

    Abashiri Station → Mt. Tento

    Abashiri Bus's Tentozan sightseeing line runs from Abashiri Station past the Prison Museum to the Okhotsk Ryu-hyo Museum and the Museum of Northern Peoples. Buses are infrequent: photograph the timetable at the station.

  3. Afternoon

    Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples

    A prefectural museum of the cultures of the northern peoples, including the Ainu, whose culture is at the heart of Golden Kamuy. It has no official link to the series, but it is the best place nearby to see the tools, clothing and daily life the story draws on. Closed on Mondays; check hours and fees on the official site.

  4. Evening

    Lake Abashiri hot springs

    Stay at a hot-spring hotel on Lake Abashiri, or near the station for dinner in town.

Overnight in AbashiriTonight: hotels in Abashiri Arriving? Japan eSIM
Day 2

Abashiri Prison Museum → Memanbetsu Airport

A full morning in the prison, a prison-style lunch, then the bus to the airport.

  1. Morning

    Abashiri Prison Museum

    Open 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:00), closed only on December 31 and January 1. Adults ¥1,500. Allow 2–3 hours for the five-wing radial cell block, the old administration building and the other preserved buildings, several of them Important Cultural Properties. Fans will recognize the setting; a color illustration from the creator is on display in the administration building.

    Spot guide: Abashiri Prison Museum

  2. Midday

    Prison-style lunch

    The museum's restaurant serves a set meal based on what inmates eat today at the current Abashiri Prison. Check the official site for serving hours.

  3. Winter option

    Drift ice cruise (late January-March)

    From late January to the end of March, the Aurora icebreaker sails from Abashiri into the drift ice of the Sea of Okhotsk (about ¥7,000 for adults on the large ship). If you are here in season, do it on the morning of day 2 and move the prison to the afternoon of day 1.

  4. Afternoon

    Back to Memanbetsu Airport

    Bus back to Abashiri Station or the bus terminal, then the airport bus (about 30–40 min). Allow at least 2 hr from the museum to your flight.

Check tickets: Abashiri Prison Museum ticket

Where to stay

Old prison buildings at Abashiri Prison Museum, Abashiri, Hokkaido

Stay in

Abashiri

Night 1. Hot-spring hotels on Lake Abashiri, or business hotels by the station for restaurants and the morning bus.

Prices change by season. Compare live rates.

See hotels in Abashiri

Getting around

Abashiri Bus: Memanbetsu Airport line

About ¥1,050 one way (adult)

Buses timed to every flight between the airport, Abashiri Bus Terminal and Abashiri Station.

Official info

Abashiri Prison Museum ticket

¥1,500 (adult)

Tickets are sold at the entrance. Some travel sites also sell them in advance.

Check tickets Official info

Aurora drift ice cruise (winter only)

About ¥7,000 (adult, large ship)

Sailings from late January to March. Book ahead: popular sailings sell out.

Check cruise tickets Official info

Rental car (optional)

Buses around Abashiri are infrequent. A car from Memanbetsu Airport makes the day easier and lets you add Lake Notoro or the Shiretoko Peninsula. In winter, only drive if you are used to snow and ice.

Compare rental cars

Visiting with respect

  • The Prison Museum is a museum, but Abashiri Prison itself is still a working prison, nearer town. If you stop at its gate, stay outside and don't photograph staff or inmates.
  • At the Museum of Northern Peoples, treat Ainu and other peoples' objects as living culture, not props. Follow the photo rules in each room.
  • In winter, paths are icy. Wear boots with grip and walk carefully.
  • Take your trash with you. There are few bins on Mt. Tento.

FAQ

Is there Golden Kamuy content at the museum?

The museum is a real setting of the story and cooperated in filming the live-action movie set at the prison. A color illustration from the creator is on display. Special events come and go; check the museum's blog for what is on during your visit.

Can I do this in one day?

Yes, if your flights allow about 5 hours on the ground: airport bus, the Prison Museum, and back. You would miss Mt. Tento's museums and a night by the lake.

What is the best season?

Late January to March for drift ice and snow, like the story's winter scenes. Summer is green, mild and busy.

Is the Museum of Northern Peoples part of Golden Kamuy?

No. It has no official tie to the series. It is a prefectural museum of northern cultures, including the Ainu, and gives useful background to the story.

Does the airport bus go to the Prison Museum?

Not as a standard stop. Ride to Abashiri Station and change to the Tentozan sightseeing line.

Your booking checklist

Everything to book for this route, in the order most people book it.

Partner links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How we choose

Sources10 official pages, checked September 18, 2026

Photo credits