Inexpensive stainless steel and inexpensive and high strength stainless steel which has excellent hydrogen environment embrittlement resistance even if used in a hydrogen resistant environment in over 40 MPa high pressure hydrogen gas or a hydrogen resistant environment in liquid hydrogen, characterized by containing, by mass %, C: 0.1% or less, Si: 0.4 to 1.5%, Mn: 8 to 11%, Cr: 15 to 17%, Ni: 5 to 8%, Cu: 1 to 4%, and N: 0.01 to less than 0.15% and having a balance of Fe and unavoidable impurities, having a volume rate of δ-ferrite of 10% or less, and having a long axis of δ-ferrite before annealing of 0.04 to 0.1 mm.