Granite-Porphyry Walls and Fieldstone Steps
The Former Chapman House Stone Steps and Stone Walls (旧チャップマン邸石段及び石垣) is stone walls and steps that share the style of Nishimura Isaku with the house of around 1926 in Tankaku, Shingu City, Wakayama Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on August 17, 2020 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
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The Agency records a stone structure 50 metres long; registration number 30-0286.
Diagonal-Laid Walls and Fieldstone Steps
The stone steps and walls of the former Chapman residence are the wall that closes the south-east side of the site and the steps that lead up from the road; they are dated to around 1926 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The wall is built of squared granite-porphyry blocks laid diagonally, with an arched stone chamber for a well at its east end. The steps are paved with fieldstones up to the entrance, flanked by stone-faced gateposts (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Agency notes that, with the house, they show the style of Nishimura Isaku.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
Look for the diagonally laid granite-porphyry wall and the arched well chamber (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by Shingu City (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to a Wakayama Prefecture publication, the former Chapman house is used as a tourist exchange facility; opening details are best checked with the city's commerce and tourism section. The house and its stone steps and walls are introduced together on the former Chapman House page.
Q&A
- When were they built?
- Around 1926 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is the wall laid?
- Granite-porphyry blocks laid diagonally.
- What is at the east end?
- An arched chamber for a well.
- How long are they?
- 50 metres.
- When was the Former Chapman House Stone Steps and Stone Walls registered?
- On August 17, 2020 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Chapman House Stone Steps and Stone Walls (旧チャップマン邸石段及び石垣) |
|---|---|
| Location | 7677-2 Tankaku 1-chome, Shingu City, Wakayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2020/08/17 (Reiwa 2) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Stone, 50 m long |
| Owner | Shingu City |
| Public Access | No official information on access |
References
- Former Chapman House Stone Steps and Stone Walls (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013448
- Kenmin no Tomo, April 2022 (Wakayama Prefecture, in Japanese)
- https://www.pref.wakayama.lg.jp/bcms/prefg/000200/kenmin/web/202204/sanpo.html
Last verified: 2026.10.25
