A look inside Japan's largest prison for women

Women in pale pink smocks sew banners and flags under strict rules that forbid talking and discourage looking up at guards or journalists. Tochigi Women’s Prison, located north of Tokyo, houses about 450 inmates and is scheduled to close in 2028 due to aging infrastructure and low use. Inmates work five days a week from early morning to mid-afternoon with limited breaks, and pay is extremely low, sometimes equivalent to about $29 per month. Work includes sewing for private clients, origami folding, kitchen and laundry duties, and repairing wheelchairs. Japan’s penal system historically used work to instill discipline, but a June 2025 change abolished the old obligation-to-work structure and replaced it with individualized incarceration emphasizing rehabilitation and reintegration, potentially combining work with vocational training, addiction support, counseling, and release preparation.

"The women in pale pink smocks and green head coverings sit hunched over pieces of fabric, sewing banners and flags. The sewing machines rattle. Talking is forbidden. Not one of them looks up at the guards standing watch under the cold neon light. They also ignore journalists touring the facility."

"Around 450 inmates are serving sentences at Tochigi Women's Prison, an aging facility located between rice fields and warehouses around 70 miles (100 kilometers) north of Japan's capital, Tokyo. It is set to close in 2028 due to aging infrastructure and underuse. Staff and inmates will be relocated to one of nine other prisons."

"In Tochigi, prisoners work five days a week from 7:40 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a 30-minute lunch break and shorter pauses in the morning and afternoon. Pay is extremely low in some cases amounting to the equivalent of around 25 ($29) per month"

"Most prison sentences in Japan previously included an explicit obligation to work. Others could apply for jobs. This dual system was abolished in June 2025. In its place is a single form of incarcaration that emphasizes individualized treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration. It marks the first change to Japan's sentencing system in more than a century."

Read at www.dw.com