Noto Province
The area around Nanao was part of ancient Noto Province and contained the Nara period provincial capital and provincial temple. During the Sengoku Period (1467–1568), Nanao Castle was a major stronghold of the Hatakeyama clan, and was contested by the Uesugi clan and Maeda clan. The area became part Kaga Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate, with the exception of the Tsuruhama area, which was retained by the shogunate directly as "tenryō" territory.