Minamikyūshū is located in the southern part of the Satsuma Peninsula, about 30 kilometers southwest of the city of Kagoshima, and faces the East China Sea to the south.

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

Kawabe was raised to town status on October 13, 1923, followed by Chiran on April 1, 1932 and Ei on August 1, 1950.

[3] Minamikyūshū has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 20 members.

In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Kagoshima 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.