Akayu is famous for its hot springs, cherries and hang gliding and includes the former village of Nakagawa.

Miyauchi is famous for its chrysanthemum festival and the Kumano-taisha Shrine, and includes the former villages of Urushiyama, Yoshino, and Kaneyama.

The English travel-writer Isabella Bird visited Akayu in 1878 and wrote about the town in Unbeaten Tracks in Japan.

[4][5] The city is named after Nanyang, China, where according to legend a chrysanthemum spring can make drinkers immortal.

[6] Nan'yō has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 1７ members.

In terms of national politics, the city is part of Yamagata District 2 of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.