Nanko-in (南湖院)

The Former First Hospital Building

The Director's Office Building

There used to be a tuberculosis sanatorium called Nanko-in (南湖院), in the Nango District of Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, founded in 1899 by Dr. Koan Takata (高田畊安) (1861 ~ 1945).  At its peak, Nanko-in occupied an area of over 165,000 square meters and was considered to be the largest sanatorium in East Asia.  In May 1945, it ended its role as a sanatorium when it was seized by the Japanese Imperial Navy.  After World War II, in 1946, the site was seized by the US Forces until 1957.

Hyotan-ike

Koan Takata Monument

In 1979, Koan's grandson, Junzo, opened a retirement house, Taiyo no Sato (太陽の郷), at the site.  In December 2015, the northern area of the site, which includes the First Hospital Building (第一病舎) and the Director's Office Building (院長室棟) of the sanatorium, was donated to the city of Chigasaki and became open to the public from April 2016 as the Nanko-in Memorial Taiyo no Sato Gardens (南湖院記念 太陽の郷庭園).  Depending on the season, visitors can enjoy cherry blossoms, Japanese plum blossoms, and wisteria.  There is also the Koan Takata Monument (高田畊安碑) standing close to a bottle-gourd-shaped pond called Hyotan-ike (ひょうたん池).

In 2018, the Japanese government designated the Former First Hospital Building as cultural property.