Kumamoto Prefecture Hikawa has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall.

After the Meiji restoration, the town of Miyahara and villages of Yoshino, Nozu, and Wakashima were established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889.

Hikawa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 10 members.

In terms of national politics, the town is part of the Kumamoto 4th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

The main industry is agriculture, and the town is known for producing pears and rush grass, which is used to make tatami mats.