According to the Nihon Shoki, after the fall of the Kingdom of Baekje to the combined forces of Tang China and Silla, Empress Saimei relocated the capital of Japan to the Tachibana no Hironiwa Palace in Asakura in 661 AD in preparation for a counter-invasion of the Korean Peninsula; however, he died the same year and the invasion never took place.

In 1203, during the Kamakura period, the area was awarded as a shōen landed estate to Harada Tanekatsu, who took the name of "Akitsuki" and who began construction of Akizuki Castle.

With the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889 the town of Amagi; and 18 villages: Akizuki, Asakura, Haki, Hinashiro, Fukuda, Fukunari, Kamiakizuki, Kanagawa, Takagi, Kugumiya, Mada, Masue, Minagi, Miyano, Ōba, Shiwa, Tateishi and Yasukawa were created.

Asakura has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 318 members.

In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Fukuoka 5th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.