The village's official interpretation of its name is that it is from the Ainu language "Sousanbetsu (waterfall, flowing river)", but the Hokkaido Ainu Policy Promotion Office's "List of Ainu Place Names" lists it as "so-e-san-pet" (waterfall, flowing river), and also lists the view that it may be "so-san-oet" (waterfall, descending river) based on the description of the place by Matsuura Takeshiro, an explorer from the late Edo and Meiji periods.

Shosanbetsu 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 town is part of the Hokkaidō 10th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

After the closure of the Japan National Railway Teshio Line in 1987, the village has not had any passenger rail service.

The closest train stations are Horonobe or Onoppunai on the JR Hokkaido Sōya Main Line.