It Looks Like a Wall, But It’s a Staircase: The Nearly Vertical Japanese Construction That Is Frightening the Internet

Written by Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Published on 20/01/2026 at 00:35

Escada quase vertical no Japão, construída nos anos 1960 em dique de 10 metros, viraliza nas redes e levanta alertas de segurança.

1 person reacted to this.

Carved Into a 10-Meter High Embankment in the Kanayamacho District of Gero, the Staircase Built in the Early 1960s Has Returned to the Center of Debate After Going Viral on Social Media, Raising Concerns About Safety, Project Origin, and Real Accident Risks

The so-called “scariest staircase” in Japan, carved into a 10-meter embankment in the Kanayamacho district of Gero, gained attention on social media after recent photos, raising alerts about safety, the project’s origin in the 1960s, and real usage risks.

Origin of the Structure and Historical Context

The staircase dates back to the early 1960s, a period when local authorities built a concrete embankment to protect the Kanayamacho district from recurring floods. The work altered access to the Maze River.

After the embankment’s completion, residents complained about the difficulty of reaching the banks of the Maze River to fish. In response, the staircase was later added as a solution for direct access.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Technical Features and Unusual Slope

From certain angles, the staircase appears almost vertical. The steps are extremely narrow, making it difficult to support one’s feet, and there is only one rusty railing available for support during ascent or descent.

The steep slope results from a 1:1 ratio between tread and riser, different from the more common 2:1 standard. There has been no official explanation released for this design choice.

Possible Economic Motivation for the Project

Although the authorities have not presented a formal justification, it is believed that adopting this ratio was an attempt to minimize costs during the construction of the staircase on the embankment.

This technical decision resulted in a functional structure, but with clear safety limitations, especially when viewed from angles that accentuate its almost vertical appearance and difficulty of traversal.

Risks, Online Circulation, and Official Position

Photos and videos of the staircase have been circulating for weeks, but the Gero tourism association avoids promoting it as an attraction due to the risk of injuries, especially during the descent down the steps.

According to a spokesperson quoted by Mainichi Shimbun, it cannot be stated that the staircase is safe, and visitors must assume responsibility for potential accidents.

Descending the staircase is considered even more dangerous than ascending. The dizzying incline, narrow steps, and presence of moss significantly increase the risk of slips and falls.

0 Comments

most recent

older Most voted

It Looks Like a Wall, But It’s a Staircase: The Nearly Vertical Japanese Construction That Is Frightening the Internet

Carved Into a 10-Meter High Embankment in the Kanayamacho District of Gero, the Staircase Built in the Early 1960s Has Returned to the Center of Debate After Going Viral on Social Media, Raising Concerns About Safety, Project Origin, and Real Accident Risks

Origin of the Structure and Historical Context

Technical Features and Unusual Slope

Possible Economic Motivation for the Project

Risks, Online Circulation, and Official Position

Mother and daughter build a 70 m² house with more than 8,000 discarded glass bottles and impress with their creativity; known as the Casa de Sal, the property is located on Itamaracá Island, in Pernambuco.

Workers were opening a new road connection near the Marginal Tietê when they found, in the underground of the construction site, remnants of locomotives, wagons, and boilers from the 19th century linked to the forgotten history of Lapa.

Instead of burning or burying old tires, an American city is transforming about 2,000 of them into the street itself, paving its first sections with a quieter and more durable rubber asphalt.

China transforms desert-devastated area into the world’s largest artificial forest, planting trees for 60 years, blocking sand that reached Beijing, and creating a “green lung” of 92,000 hectares in a region once considered lost.

Greek island offers free housing for volunteers, but there’s a condition: you need to take care of rescued cats.

China has deployed snake-shaped robots to slide along power lines, where they have already inspected over 130 kilometers of cables using cameras and sensors to detect damaged wires, worn-out parts, and overheating.

Engineers want to carve through Africa with a giant canal to bring water from the world’s second-largest river to a dying lake on the edge of the Sahara Desert that has already lost 90% of its water.

Hidden cameras in the jungle capture the Amazon ghost dog for 23 years and reveal curious details about one of the most mysterious canids on the planet.

Everyone complains, but everyone stops: Rede Graal charges R$ 20 for a coxinha, earns R$ 2 billion a year, and turned clean bathrooms, bus drivers, and hot bread into a billion-dollar machine on Brazil’s highways.

An entire city in Alaska needs to be moved stone by stone due to ice sinking in a mega relocation project that will cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Elderly individuals may obtain essential documents without paying fees: a project that includes CIN, CNH, CPF, and work card advances in the Chamber, eliminates issuance and renewal charges, and leaves Brazilians waiting for decisive steps to see if the benefit will actually be implemented.

Cutting-edge engineering transforms an abandoned 88-meter-deep quarry into a luxury ‘earthscraper’ in China with submerged floors and geothermal energy.

It Looks Like a Wall, But It’s a Staircase: The Nearly Vertical Japanese Construction That Is Frightening the Internet

Carved Into a 10-Meter High Embankment in the Kanayamacho District of Gero, the Staircase Built in the Early 1960s Has Returned to the Center of Debate After Going Viral on Social Media, Raising Concerns About Safety, Project Origin, and Real Accident Risks

Origin of the Structure and Historical Context

Technical Features and Unusual Slope

Possible Economic Motivation for the Project

Risks, Online Circulation, and Official Position

Mother and daughter build a 70 m² house with more than 8,000 discarded glass bottles and impress with their creativity; known as the Casa de Sal, the property is located on Itamaracá Island, in Pernambuco.

Workers were opening a new road connection near the Marginal Tietê when they found, in the underground of the construction site, remnants of locomotives, wagons, and boilers from the 19th century linked to the forgotten history of Lapa.

Instead of burning or burying old tires, an American city is transforming about 2,000 of them into the street itself, paving its first sections with a quieter and more durable rubber asphalt.

China transforms desert-devastated area into the world’s largest artificial forest, planting trees for 60 years, blocking sand that reached Beijing, and creating a “green lung” of 92,000 hectares in a region once considered lost.

Greek island offers free housing for volunteers, but there’s a condition: you need to take care of rescued cats.

China has deployed snake-shaped robots to slide along power lines, where they have already inspected over 130 kilometers of cables using cameras and sensors to detect damaged wires, worn-out parts, and overheating.

Engineers want to carve through Africa with a giant canal to bring water from the world’s second-largest river to a dying lake on the edge of the Sahara Desert that has already lost 90% of its water.

Hidden cameras in the jungle capture the Amazon ghost dog for 23 years and reveal curious details about one of the most mysterious canids on the planet.

Everyone complains, but everyone stops: Rede Graal charges R$ 20 for a coxinha, earns R$ 2 billion a year, and turned clean bathrooms, bus drivers, and hot bread into a billion-dollar machine on Brazil’s highways.

An entire city in Alaska needs to be moved stone by stone due to ice sinking in a mega relocation project that will cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Chile transforms giant mining tires into a new industry in the heart of the Atacama: new plant recycles colossal rubbers discarded by off-road trucks and promises to process 30,000 tons per year in the driest desert on the planet.

Mother of 7 children leaves night job in São Paulo, invests only R$ 86 in artisanal ice creams and sees income become household support: business created at the gate reaches R$ 6,000 per month and aims for a physical store.

Hidden cameras in the jungle capture the Amazon ghost dog for 23 years and reveal curious details about one of the most mysterious canids on the planet.

Everyone complains, but everyone stops: Rede Graal charges R$ 20 for a coxinha, earns R$ 2 billion a year, and turned clean bathrooms, bus drivers, and hot bread into a billion-dollar machine on Brazil’s highways.

An entire city in Alaska needs to be moved stone by stone due to ice sinking in a mega relocation project that will cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Elderly individuals may obtain essential documents without paying fees: a project that includes CIN, CNH, CPF, and work card advances in the Chamber, eliminates issuance and renewal charges, and leaves Brazilians waiting for decisive steps to see if the benefit will actually be implemented.

Cutting-edge engineering transforms an abandoned 88-meter-deep quarry into a luxury ‘earthscraper’ in China with submerged floors and geothermal energy.