Uhei Yamato, who has been told that founder of Nagaoka hot spring, has established Nanzanso in 1907. Initially, the hotel was called “Yamato-kan,” derived from Yamato’s name. The construction of the annex building began in early 1930 with the help of carpenters who had specialized in Japanese traditional architecture. Eight years later, the annex was constructed as a beautiful sukiya-style building. Hakushu Kitahara, who is one of the most popular and important poets in modern Japanese literature, attended the inauguration ceremony as he stayed in the hotel very often and was moved by its beautiful and elegant appearance. He renamed “Yamato-kan” “Nanzanso,” a name influenced by an old Chinese story.
In 1955, two major parties, the Liberal Party and the Nihon Democratic Party, decided to create a new conservative party together. The cadre named the new party the Liberal Democratic Party at Nanzanso. Nanzanso has been the favorite of many celebrities for a long time.

Nanzanso and Hakushu Kitahara

Hakushu Kitahara stayed at Nanzanso on several occasions between 1934 and 1939. He stayed here to edit his pieces. His first visit was on June 3, 1934. He was here to attend the bird-watching event at the foot of Mt. Fuji and stayed at Nanzanso for six days. During this period, he traveled to Jyougasaki, Amagi, and Shimoda with the famous artist Hiroshi Okumura. The five poems that Hakushu composed at the time are still preserved at Nanzanso.