It consists of the Sarobetsu Plain, which is part of Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park, in the west, and gently sloping hilly and mountainous area with pastures and forests in the east.

Toyotomi Onsen, the northernmost hot spring resort in Japan, is located in the mountainous area to the southeast.

Because the area is rich in natural resources such as coal, petroleum, peat, and hot springs, it was named Toyotomi, which is an alternate reading of the Chinese characters for the word houfu (豊富), meaning "rich" or "abundant" Toyotomi has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of ten members.

In terms of national politics, the town is part of the Hokkaido 12th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Businesses that produce and sell high quality food products have been growing in Toyotomi, such as Misawa Farm, which produces LTLT pasteurized-milk, Kōbō Retie, which creates authentic dairy products such as cheese and gelato, and Sarobetsu Farm, which makes ham and sausages.

Facing a decline in population following the closing of its coal mines, the town decided to change its focus to the tourism industry.

In recent years, with the recognition of the town's vast farmlands as a source of tourism, farm restaurants and the sale of high quality dairy products have been increasing.

Natural gas emerges in the area, and in the past it was used to generate electricity which was used in Wakkanai, but due to the aging of the equipment involved and profitability issues, plant operations ceased in 1975.