It is a popular tourist spot for Japanese and foreign travelers.

Yamanaka Onsen has a very ancient history, and there are several myths about its foundation.

One story attributes it to the wandering Buddhist monk Gyōki in the Nara period.

Another story states that the Kamakura period samurai Hasebe Nobutsura discovered the springs while following an injured white heron and seeing it bath in the hot waters.

During World War II, it was designated as a military hospital area for the Imperial Japanese Navy.