Japanese Prison Looking to Rehabilitate Image with New Mascot
Katakkuri-chan to the rescue?
Authorities at the Asahikawa Prison think people have a glum view of their facility, and they want to change that.
A Japanese prison housing a range of convicted criminals has unveiled a cuddly life-size mascot that bosses hope will help change the jail's forbidding image.
Officials say Asahikawa Prison in Japan's far north is too often thought of only as a dark place with imposing grey walls and not as a place of rehabilitation.
They hope "Katakkuri-chan", a nearly two-meter (6ft, 6ins) humanoid with a huge square face and an enormous purple flower for hair, will make people understand the true nature of the institution.
A prison spokesperson said the goal is to make the prison seem "open to society." Picture of the mascot below:
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How long before some enterprising inmate tries to escape wearing the mascot costume?
It’s like a comedic episode of Oz.
I’m sure a prison shower rape scene would be much more interesting if one of the inmates is wearing the costume.
“On tonight’s very special furry rape episode of Oz, Steve Guttenberg guest stars as Yiffy, the loveable rapeable silver fox.”
Perhaps we could do the same with the federal government here.
Just when I thought those fish-flavored ice cream eating weirdos couldn’t get any weirder.
awww… I feel better already.
What…..the……fuck????????
It still makes me think of a Japanese pound-me-in-the-ass prison. Maybe it’s the flower.
It’s Japan. How would you notice if any of them tried to pound you in the ass?
Oh, I would notice. My flower is heretofore untouched. You don’t need to use a tentacle to be noticed.
I really wanted to link the scene from the Simpsons where Homer is in a Japanese prison, but I can’t because Fox is an asshole about having clips on youtube.
Yeah, joymii is the same way.
If were under the influence and saw “Katakkuri-chan”, I’d probably freak right the fuck out.
Bets on how long before the purple Pilsbury Dough Boy is shanked?
I don’t know… with that purple and pink head ensemble, he may get shanked in a way that makes him wish he only got shivved.
“Jail’s not so bad. You can make sangria in the terlet. ‘Course, it’s shank or be shanked.”
This doesn’t even register on the Japanese weirdness scale.
You are so right. My mother is Japanese, I lived, worked, and studied in Japan, and this isn’t even on the radar of weirdness there.
You know who else housed a range of convicted criminals?
Lee Marvin in “The Dirty Dozen”?
Does the Aryan Brotherhood have a foothold in Japanese prisons?
Yes, the Yellow branch.
Coming soon, a kinder, gentler Bataan Death March.
Followed by the She-Was-Passed-Out-But-Totally-Into-It of Nanking.
If the object is to reduce crime through presenting an image that, if met in your dreams, would be one of sheer terror, it may work.
Times like this I think Japan must be fuckin’ with us.
It’s weird because, next to the Brits and Canadians, I think the Japanese must have the ‘most relatable’ humor to the American brand, but at the same time, I’m often not sure whether the Japanese are being serious or not.
Syncretism, I love you.
Japanese humour isnt even close. Sarcasm doesn’t exist. There are no real curse words. And jokes don’t exist either. As in “a guy walks into a bar…” nope, these don’t exist in Japan.
That should be an NFL mascot. Anyone else follow the NFL? There’s a new season, I hear.
The head looks sort of gelatinous.
So Green Bay.
Put a cowboy hat on it and it’s Rowdy.
I bet Mario is drooling at the prospect of jumping on *that.*
Hmmm…that sounded kinda dirty.
If Japan were to fall under the rule of another Hirohito, the regime would have it’s own cutesy mascot to wave to people and to hand used Hello Hitty schoolgirl panties to people being marched to the death camps.
Was Hello Kitty to expensive to license? The prison could probably pay for itself, by selling official prison guard garb bearing the Hello Kitty logo.
xxx too expensive