Furniture made in jail

8__The Bargain Shop

Furniture made in jail

This address is a little-known tip for bargain hunters and a treasure trove for craftwork and furniture in traditional style. How about a cast-iron tea kettle for 1,400 yen or a handmade chest of drawers of solid wood with metal fittings for 26,000 yen? These items are not only suspiciously cheap, but also often of wickedly good quality.

Do you think there must be a catch? Well yes, they are products made by Japanese prisoners and sold by the Correctional Association Prison Industry Cooperation, CAPIC for short. Through the proceeds of sale in the shop, the prison inmates can save money to help them through the time after their release. Part of the profits is donated to social projects, for example to give support to victims of crime.

The range of products sold under the prison label goes far beyond the field of arts and crafts. If you are setting up house for the first time or would like to keep the cost of acquisitions low because your budget is limited or you are living in Japan only for a limited period, you can find most of what you need at CAPIC. The porcelain cups, with a price tag of 70 yen, are even cheaper than those in the numerous 100-yen stores. You will also find grocery items here, a big assortment of traditional wooden toys, soap, leather products, and much, much more. Among the most popular items are bags and aprons in the Marugoku series, which are made by inmates of the prison in Hakodate (Hokkaido). The lettering ‘Prison’ is printed, quite unmistakably, on the hard-wearing fabric. Soap of the Blue Stick brand is suitable for removing even the most stubborn stains.

Simply click your way through the product range: every item is available for sale online. Alternatively you can go to one of the branches of CAPIC in Fuchu, Nakano or Yokohama and examine the assortment and the quality of the articles for yourself.

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Address CAPIC, Harumi-cho 4-10, Fuchu-shi, 183 – 0057 Tokyo, www.e-capic.com (Japanese) | Getting there JR-Musashino Line to Kita-Fuchu, 5-minute walk | Hours Mon – Fri 10am – 4pm | Tip Okunitama-Jinja is one stop by train or a 30-minute walk from the prison shop. On the site of this extremely important shrine are a sumo ring and a Russo-Japanese war memorial.