[3] During the Pacific War, Kure acted as the Imperial Japanese Navy's single-largest naval base and arsenal.

Kure has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 31 members.

In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Hiroshima 5th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Kure is located 20 kilometres (10 mi) south-east of Hiroshima city and faces the Seto Inland Sea.

Surrounded by steep hillsides to the north, the two major commercial and industrial centers of the city are bisected by Mount Yasumi 497 m (1,631 ft).

As well as densely populated urban and industrial centers, the city also incorporates sparsely inhabited outlying islands such as Kurahashi-jima, Shimo-kamagari, Kami-kamagari and Toyoshima.