ABSTRACT
Chapter 4 examines the transformation of Japan’s prison labour policy which occurred with the establishment of the Hokkaido-chō from 1886 onwards. As a consequence of this policy change, forced labour in Hokkaido’s prisons focused between 1886 and 1894 on road construction and the extraction of coal and sulphur. The chapter discusses the working conditions in coal and sulphur mines and suggests how these affected prisoners’ daily lives. Next, the chapter explains the role of Abashiri and Tokachi Prisons in colonizing the northeast of Hokkaido. In this process, the construction of a Central Highway, in particular, demanded huge efforts of convict labour and caused the deaths of many prisoners. The chapter finally explains why prisoners’ outdoor labour was eventually abolished in 1894.
