The Kiso River flows in the northern part of the city and roughly flat terrain continues to the Ota Basin on the opposite bank.

During the Edo period, the area was divided between the holding of Owari Domain and tenryō territory under direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate.

The Nakasendō highway connecting Edo and Kyoto passed through the area, with several post stations located in what is now Kani.

On February 1, 1955, Imawatari merged with the villages of Dota, Katabira, Harusato, Kukuri, Hiromaki and Hiromi to form the town of Kani.

[5] Kani has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 22 members.