Products Made in Prisons - Jail-Made Designs Are Popular In Japan

Products that are prison-inspired and prison-made are suddenly becoming popular in Japan.

Inmates in Hakodate Juvenile Prison in Hokkaido, Japan design and sew aprons, tote bags and pouches that bare the word “prison”, both in English and Japanese.  Initially sold as prison tourist souvenirs, the prison novelty items are now fancied by the young Japanese consumers.

Like most people who thought of hiring talents from the cell, the Correctional Association for Prison Industry Association was worried that the products wouldn’t score any votes from fashionistas. 

Shoji Nakajima, an association official, said, “We thought the character ‘jail’ would turn people off, but that turned out to be the big appeal.”

Now they’re so hot, all the items in the association’s online shop are currently sold out.