What the Uchino Family Residence Stone Steps are
The Uchino Family Residence Stone Steps (内野家住宅石段, Uchino-ke Jūtaku Ishidan) are a late-Edo (1751 to 1829) flight of steps in the former samurai quarter of Iwanoue-chō, Hirado City, Nagasaki Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2005.
The steps link the north-south street on the east side of the property with the gateposts in front of the main house entrance. The flight is straight, 3.6 m wide and 3.6 m long, with 10 steps and an area of 13 m². There is no turn and no landing; it climbs directly up off the road to the gate.
Across the middle of each tread lie two or three cut slabs of sandstone, each about 33 cm wide, 15 cm thick and 130 cm long, with rough natural stones set at both ends. Dressed stone and untouched stone share every step.
Why the Uchino Family Residence Stone Steps were registered
The Uchino Family Residence Stone Steps were registered for their contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that, with the Ishigaki retaining walls, plastered wall and hedges beside them, they keep the look of a Hirado samurai residence.
Many samurai houses in old Hirado sit on plots raised above the street and are reached by steps. The steps are the first part of the house a visitor touches, and the place where a household's standing first shows. The Uchino steps have held that role since the late Edo period.
They also stand apart from the rest of the property. The main house and brick wall were built in 1926 and the gateposts were remade around then, but the steps were left as they were. They are among the least altered parts of the frontage.
What to look for on the Uchino stone steps
Compare the middle of each tread with its ends. The sandstone in the centre comes in long, squared slabs about 130 cm in length, laid flat. The natural stones at the edges vary in size and shape and hold the row of slabs in place on both sides.
The numbers reveal the shape of each step. Dividing the 3.6 m length by 10 steps gives a tread depth of roughly 36 cm, close to the 33 cm width of a slab, so in the middle a single slab appears to form each tread. The rise of each step is probably close to the slab thickness of about 15 cm.
Sandstone is a fairly soft stone that wears with use. Look for rounded edges and changes of colour on the treads, the marks of generations climbing up and down.
Visiting the Uchino Family Residence Stone Steps
You can see the Uchino Family Residence Stone Steps from the road, but they are part of a private home. Please do not climb them; view them from the roadside. Beyond the gateposts is the residence, and neither the house nor the garden is normally open.
Limit photographs to the exterior from the street. For a straight-on view, stand on the far side of the road, where all ten steps and the gateposts fit in one frame. Background on the garden openings and directions are on the Uchino Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Nagasaki
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Uchino Family Residence Stone Steps
- [ Gunkanjima Island Landing & Glover Garden Tours ]
Q&A
- How old are the Uchino Family Residence Stone Steps?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates them to the late Edo period (1751 to 1829). They survived unchanged when the main house was rebuilt in 1926.
- What stone are the Uchino Family Residence Stone Steps made of?
- Each tread has two or three cut sandstone slabs about 130 cm long in the middle, with natural stones at both ends.
- How big are the Uchino Family Residence Stone Steps?
- They form a straight flight 3.6 m wide and 3.6 m long, with 10 steps and an area of 13 m².
- Can I climb the Uchino Family Residence Stone Steps?
- No. The steps belong to a private home, so please view them from the road.
- Why are the Uchino Family Residence Stone Steps a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- They were registered in 2005 for their contribution to the historic landscape, keeping the look of a Hirado samurai residence together with the walls and hedges beside them.
Basic Information
| Name | Uchino Family Residence Stone Steps (内野家住宅石段) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1165-1 Iwanoue-chō, Hirado City, Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2005-02-09 (Heisei 17) |
| Quantity | 1 site |
| Dimensions | Area 13 m² (width 3.6 m, length 3.6 m, 10 steps) |
| Owner | Private (no owner name in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the road only (the steps are private property) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Uchino Family Residence Stone Steps
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004679
- Cultural Heritage Online: Uchino Family Residence Stone Steps
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/195679
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Uchino Family Residence Gate and Wall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004678
- Agency for Cultural Affairs: Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Buildings)
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkazai/shokai/yukei_kenzobutsu/toroku_yukei.html
Last verified: 2026.10.06
