Inmates are provided with the necessary food and drink,taking account of their physical condition,health,age,work and other factors.They are also lent or supplied clothes,bedding,daily requisites,and others necessary for daily life.
  The daily cost for dishes other than staple food per adult inmate is¥422.47in FY2004.
  Special consideration is given to food for the inmates who are sick,pregnant,or engaging in exhausting work etc.For the inmates who need particular meals for religious reasons or due to significant differences in dietary habits,as much consideration as possible is given.
  As for clothes and bedding,careful consideration is taken to heat insulation,hygiene,appearance etc.,while inmates are allowed to buy some daily requisites at their own expense or receive them from the outside.
  Penal institutions have medical departments or sections in accordance with their size and nature.Doctors and other medical specialists are assigned to these departments and sections.There are some penal institutions specialized for medical treatment,namely Hachioji,Okazaki,Osaka and Kitakyushu Prisons.Furthermore,six prisons(Sapporo,Miyagi,Fuchu,Nagoya,Hiroshima and Fukuoka Prisons)are designated as medical priority institutions.In these10institutions,medical equipment and specialists are intensively assigned.
  As of April1,2004,the staff of medical specialists in penal institutions consisted of226doctors,35pharmacists,18nutritionists,20radiologists,16clinical hygiene inspectors,and252nurses,totaling567(Source:Data by Correction Bureau,Ministry of Justice).