Almost all of the habitable areas in the village, including the urban center, are scheduled to be submerged by the Kawabegawa Dam, so alternative sites were built in various places and residents have been gradually relocated Kumamoto Prefecture Itsuki has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall.

A plan for constructing Kawabegawa Dam was promulgated in 1966, but was delayed for decades due to extensive opposition by villagers and environmentalists.

However, after heavy rains in 2020 caused great damage in the Kuma River basin and other areas, the project was revived under the guise of "flood control", with construction now scheduled to commence in 2027 with completion by 2035.

Itsuki has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral village council of eight members.

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