Awashimaura has a humid climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm, wet summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall.

Per Japanese census data,[4] the population of Awashimaura has declined steadily over the past 50 years.

The island of Awashima has been inhabited since prehistoric times, and fragments of Jōmon period pottery have been found.

The Asuka period general Abe no Hirafu conquered the island from its native Emishi inhabitants and brought it under the control of the imperial dynasty.

After the Meiji restoration, the village of Asahimaura was created in 1909 as part of Iwafune District, Niigata Prefecture.