Matsuura City is located in the northeastern part of the Kitamatsuura Peninsula in northern Nagasaki Prefecture. The northern part faces the Genkai Sea and Imari Bay, and the eastern part borders Imari City. The southern part of the city is a hilly lava plateau. Coal was once discovered in the Kitamatsuura Peninsula, and the coal industry flourished from the Meiji period through the postwar period. The fishing industry is also thriving, with Matsuura Fish Market becoming one of Japan's leading fishing ports for horse mackerel and mackerel. The city boasts prefecturally designated historic sites, such as the remains of Kajitani Castle and the memorial tower for the Matsuura family during the Bunroku War. Tangible cultural properties, such as the bronze seated Buddha statues on Takashima Island and the bronze seated Buddha statues at the former Kinsenji Temple, and natural monuments, such as the Bentenjima dyke and the Japanese maple at Fukujuji Temple, make it a popular tourist spot.