Motobu Town is located in the Okinawa Islands, part of the Ryukyu Archipelago. It lies on the western side of the northern region of Okinawa Island and includes the western area of the Motobu Peninsula, as well as Sesoko Island and Minnajima Island. This area was the site of the 1975 Okinawa International Ocean Expo.
In the past, Motobu Town was quite prosperous due to its role as the main hub for transportation to nearby islands via Motobu Port. However, with ferries to Ie Island now departing from the New Motobu Port, and ferries to Izena and Iheya Islands now departing from Nakijin Port, Motobu Town's prominence has somewhat declined.
