In February 1943, the Imperial Navy staff asked Nakajima Aircraft Company to design a four-engined bomber, capable of meeting an earlier specification set for a long-range, land-based attack plane.

[1] Nakajima's design featured a mid-mounted wing of small area and high aspect ratio, a tricycle landing gear, and a large single-fin rudder.

[2] Other than minor problems with the turbosuperchargers, the Renzan performed satisfactorily, and the Navy hoped to have a total of sixteen prototypes and 48 production-version G8N1s assembled by September 1945.

[2] One proposed variant was the G8N2 Renzan-Kai Model 22, powered by four 2,200 hp Mitsubishi MK9A radial engines and modified to accept attachment of the air-launched Ohka Type 33 Special Attack Bomber.

[2] Just before Japan's surrender in August 1945, consideration was also briefly given to producing an all-steel version of the aircraft to be designated G8N3 Renzan-Kai Model 23, but the cessation of hostilities precluded any further development.