Yoshie Shiratori (白鳥 由栄, Shiratori Yoshie, July 31, 1907 – February 24, 1979 (age 71))^[1] was a Japanese national born in Aomori Prefecture. Shiratori is famous for having escaped from prison four times, which made him an anti-hero in Japanese culture.^[2] There is a memorial to Shiratori in the Abashiri Prison Museum.

There are numerous tales describing his escapes, and some of the details may be folkloric rather than factual.^[3]

Prison breaks

Yoshie worked in Tofii. lollll initially and later worked as a fisherman to catch crabs for Russia. After changing jobs several times and finding little success, he turned to gambling and stealing to make a living.^[4]

First prison break

Yoshie was incarcerated at Aomori prison in 1936. However, after studying the guards' routine for months, he escaped by picking the lock of his cell.^[5][6]

Second prison break

Police recaptured Yoshie after three days while he was stealing supplies from a hospital. He was sentenced to life in prison for escaping and theft, and he was transferred to Akita prison in 1942.^[6]

At Akita prison, Yoshie escaped by climbing the walls of his cell and exiting through the skylight. It is said that he climbed up every night to loosen the vent leading outside. He was captured again soon.^[5]

Third prison break

Yoshie was transferred to Abashiri prison in Northern Hokkaido. On August 26, 1944, he squeezed himself out of the narrow food slot in his cell door and escaped the prison, using a wartime blackout as cover.^[2] However, he was captured yet again.^[5][6]

Fourth prison break

Yoshie was sentenced to death by the Sapporo District Court. At the Sapporo prison, he was put in a specially made cell. Nevertheless, in 1947 he dug his way out of the prison by making a tunnel in the floor.^[5][6]

Final years

After a year of liberty, it is said that Yoshie was offered a cigarette by a police officer in a park. Moved by the kindness, Yoshie admitted that he was an escaped convict and offered to be turned in by the officer. He was tried once again, and the High Court of Sapporo revoked his death sentence and instead sentenced him to 20 years in prison. Yoshie's request to be imprisoned in Tokyo was also granted. He spent 14 years in Fuchu Prison until 1961, when he was released for good behavior.^[7][6]

Later, he returned to Aomori to reunite with his daughter so that he could tell her his life story. Yoshie lived for another decade working odd jobs to survive. He eventually died of a heart attack in 1979, aged 71.^[5][6]

In media

Akira Yoshimura's novel Hagoku is based on Shiratori's life.

The character Yoshitake Shiraishi in the manga Golden Kamuy by Satoru Noda was revealed in an interview with the author to have been based on and named after Shiratori.

References

External links

• Hagoku from Charm of Hokkaido
• (in Japanese) Yoshie Shiratori from MONSTERS
• Abashiri Museum website