Noted for its wagyu beef and kiwifruit, the town is a member of The Most Beautiful Villages in Japan association.

Following the Meiji restoration, the area was organized into villages of Nago, Fukaga, and Utago within Abu District, Yamaguchi with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889.

[4] Abu has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of eight members.

In terms of national politics, the town is part of the Yamaguchi 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

The economy of Abu is based on agriculture and commercial fishing, with some forestry in inland mountain areas.