[1] Part of the town is within the borders of the Kurikoma Quasi-National Park[2] Kaneyama has a Humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa) with large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters.

The area of present-day was Kaneyama part of ancient Dewa Province and during the Nara Period and early Heian period was an important fortified point on the road connecting Akita Castle on the Sea of Japan with Tagajo on the Pacific Ocean.

During the Sengoku period, the area was under the control of the Mogami clan, who built Kaneyama Castle on what is now the center of the modern town.

The mountain passes north of the town center were a battlefield in the Boshin War of the Meiji restoration.

After the start of the Meiji period, the area became part of Mogami District, Yamagata Prefecture.