View source for Nishinomiya

{{Infobox settlement
| name                            = Nishinomiya
| official_name                   = 
| native_name                     = {{nobold|西宮市}}
| native_name_lang                = ja
| settlement_type                 = [[Core cities of Japan|Core city]]
| other_name                      = 
| image_skyline                   =  {{Multiple image
| border      = infobox
| total_width = 290
| image_style = border:1;
| perrow      = 1/2/2
| image1      = Hanshin_Koshien_Stadium_2009.jpg
| image2      = Nishinomiya-jinja02st3200.jpg
| image3      = Mondoyakujin_yakujindo01.jpg
| image4      = Shukugawa05s3872.jpg
| image5      = HANKYU_NISHINOMIYA_GARDENS.JPG
}}
| image_caption                   = From top left: [[Koshien Stadium|Hanshin Koshien Stadium]], [[Nishinomiya Shrine]], Tōkō-ji, Shukugawa Park, and Hankyu Nishinomiya Gardens
| image_flag                      = Flag of Nishinomiya, Hyogo.svg
| image_seal                      = Emblem of Nishinomiya, Hyogo.svg
| seal_type                       = Chapter
| image_map                       = {{maplink|frame=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=265|plain=yes|type=shape|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|zoom=10}}
| map_caption                     = Location of Nishinomiya in Hyōgo Prefecture
| image_map1                      = Nishinomiya in Hyogo Prefecture Ja.svg
| map_caption1                    = 
| pushpin_map                     = Japan
| pushpin_map_caption             = Location in Japan
| coordinates                     = {{coord|34|44|15.35|N|135|20|29.63|E|region:JP-28|display=it}}
| subdivision_type                = Country
| subdivision_name                = Japan
| subdivision_type1               = [[List of regions of Japan|Region]]
| subdivision_name1               = [[Kansai region|Kansai]]
| subdivision_type2               = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
| subdivision_name2               = [[Hyōgo Prefecture|Hyōgo]]
| subdivision_type3               = [[Districts of Japan|District]]
| subdivision_name3               = 
| established_title               =
| established_date                = 
| established_title2              = 
| established_date2               = 
| leader_title                    = Mayor
| leader_name                     = Ishii Toshiro
| leader_title1                   = Vice Mayor
| leader_name1                    = 
| unit_pref                       = Metric
| area_total_km2                  = 99.96
| population_total                = 484368
| population_as_of                = May 1, 2021
| population_density_km2          = auto
| timezone1                       = [[Japan Standard Time|JST]]
| utc_offset1                     = +09:00
| postal_code_type                = 
| postal_code                     = 
| blank_name_sec1                 = City hall address
| blank_info_sec1                 = 10-3 Rokutanji-chō, Nishinomiya-shi, Hyōgo-ken 662-8567
| website                         = {{Official|1=https://www.nishi.or.jp/smph/shisei/seisaku/tabunkakyosei/english/gaiyo-en.html}}
| module                          = {{Infobox place symbols| embedded=yes
 | tree = [[Camphora officinarum|Camphor laurel]]
 | flower = [[Sakura]]
 | bird = 
 | butterfly = 
 | fish = 
}}
}}
[[file:西宮市役所.jpg|thumb|right|270px|Nishinomiya City Hall]]
[[file:Nishinomiya city center area Aerial photograph.1985.jpg|thumb|right|270px|Aerial view of Nishinomiya city center 1985]]
[[file:Hirota-jinja Nishinomiya04s.jpg|thumb|right|270px|Hirota Shrine]]
{{nihongo|'''Nishinomiya'''|西宮市|Nishinomiya-shi}} is a [[Cities of Japan|city]] located in [[Hyōgo Prefecture]], [[Japan]]. {{As of|2022|11|01}}, the city had an estimated population of 484,368 in 218,948 households and a population density of 4,800 persons per km².<ref name="Nishinomiya-hp">{{cite web |url=https://www.nishi.or.jp|title= Nishinomiya city official statistics|location= Japan|language= ja}}</ref> The total area of the city is {{convert|99.98|sqkm|sqmi}}. Nishinomiya is an important commercial and shipping city in the [[Kansai region]] with the third largest population in Hyōgo Prefecture. Nishinomiya is best known as the home of [[Koshien Stadium]], where the [[Hanshin Tigers]] [[baseball]] team plays home games and where Japan's annual [[Kōshien baseball tournament|high school baseball championship]] is held.

== Geography ==
Nishinomiya is located in southeast Hyōgo Prefecture between the cities of [[Kobe]] and [[Osaka]]. It is bordered by [[Osaka Bay]] to the south, the cities of [[Amagasaki]], [[Itami]] and [[Takarazuka, Hyōgo|Takarazuka]] along the Mukogawa and Nigawa rivers to the east and by the [[Mount Rokkō |Rokkō Mountains]] and Kobe to the north. The city can be divided into two areas: a mountainous area in the north and a coastal plain in the south. Situated in the middle is [[Mount Kabuto]] (309 meters), a landmark of the city.

===Neighboring municipalities===
Hyōgo Prefecture
*[[Amagasaki, Hyōgo|Amagasaki]]
*[[Ashiya, Hyōgo|Ashiya]]
*[[Itami, Hyōgo|Itami]]
*[[Kita-ku, Kobe]]
*[[Takarazuka, Hyōgo|Takarazuka]]

===Climate===
Nishinomiya has a [[Humid subtropical climate]] (Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Nishinomiya is 14.6&nbsp;°C. The average annual rainfall is 1578&nbsp;mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.4&nbsp;°C, and lowest in January, at around 3.3&nbsp;°C.<ref>[https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/hyogo-prefecture/nishinomiya-5362/  Nishinomiya climate data]</ref>

==Demographics==
Per Japanese census data,<ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-hyogo.php Nishinomiya population statistics]</ref> the population of Nishinomiya grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, and has been increasing at a slower rate since.

{{Historical populations
| 1920 | 60311
| 1930 | 98777
| 1940 | 169770
| 1950 | 168319
| 1960 | 262608
| 1970 | 377043
| 1980 | 410329
| 1990 | 426909
| 2000 | 438105
| 2010 | 422790
|align       = none
| footnote = 
}}

== History ==
The area of Nishinomiya was part of ancient [[Settsu Province]] and has been inhabited since ancient times, with the traces of [[Yayoi period]] settlements, many [[kofun]] [[burial mound]]s found within the city limits. From the [[Asuka period]], the [[Hirota Shrine]] was built, and the market town which developed around its west gate was the ancestor of "Nishinomiya". From the [[Muromachi period]], Nishinomiya was famed for its production of ''[[sake]]''. During the [[Edo Period]], the area was ''[[tenryō]]'' territory under the direct administration of the [[Tokugawa shogunate]]. The town of Nishinomiya was established on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. Nishinomiya was a center of the culture from the 1910s to 1940s in which has been dubbed "[[Hanshinkan Modernism]]". This included the opening of the [[Kōshien Stadium]] opened on April 1, 1924. Nishinomiya was elevated to city status on April 1, 1925. The city expanded with the annexation of the town of Imazu and villages of Shiba and Taishi in April 1933, the village of Koto in February 1941, the village of Kawaragi in May 1942, and the villages of Naruo, Yamaguchi and Shiose in April 1951. The January 17, 1995 [[Great Hanshin earthquake]] caused widespread damage in Nishinomiya.

==Government==
Nishinomiya has a [[mayor-council]] form of government with a directly elected mayor and a [[unicameral]] city council of 41 members. Nishinomiya contributes seven members to the Hyōgo Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between the Hyōgo 2nd district and Hyōgo 7th districts of the [[House of Representatives of Japan|lower house]] of the [[Diet of Japan]].

== Economy ==
In terms of industry, food and beverages (especially ''sake'', which is a traditional industry) are a major portion of the local economy. The city is also located on a corner of the Hanshin industrial zone.

* [[Furuno]], a global [[electronics|electronics company]], whose main products include [[marine electronics]] and [[medical equipment]], has its headquarters in the city.<ref>"[http://www.furuno.co.jp/en/corporate/about/outline.html Company Outline]." [[Furuno]]. Retrieved on 2015-03-26.</ref>

=== Agriculture ===
Since most of the farmland is in the urban district, Nishinomiya agriculture is in a difficult situation; it worsens every year. Efforts are being made to improve farming{{citation needed|date=December 2017}} to make it profitable by growing such marketable products as soft vegetables for the big markets of Osaka and Kobe. Other efforts include effective land use by growing crops in greenhouses using hydroponic techniques and development of techniques for safe products.

===Residential districts ===
Nishinomiya is situated between the major cities of Kobe and Osaka. Luxury neighborhoods are common in this city, especially in areas near Ashiya. Some of the shopping malls in Nishinomiya are the Lalaport Koshien and the Hankyu Nishinomiya Gardens.

==Education==
=== Universities and colleges ===
*Hyogo College Of Medicine
*[[Kobe College]] (Women's university)
*[[Konan University]] Nishinomiya Campus "Konan Cube"
*Koshien Junior College
*[[Kwansei Gakuin University]], a private university founded by American missionaries in the nineteenth century. 
*[[Mukogawa Women's University]] and [[Mukogawa Women's University Junior College Division|Junior College]]
*[[Otemae University]]
*[[Seiwa College]] and Junior College
*Shukugawa Gakuin Junior College

===Primary and secondary schools===
{{More citations needed section|date=March 2023}}
Nishinomiya has 40 public elementary schools and 19 public middle schools operated by the city government, and nine public high schools operated by the Hyōgo Prefectural Board of Education. These nine include [[Hōtoku Gakuen High School]], with a prominent baseball team, and Nishinomiya Kita High,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.hyogo-c.ed.jp/~nishikita-hs/smph/ | title=兵庫県立西宮北高等学校 }}</ref> the setting for much of ''The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya''. There are also two private elementary schools, seven private middle schools and seven private high schools. In addition, the city also operates one, and the prefecture operates two, special education schools for the physically challenged.

== Transportation ==
=== Railways ===
[[File:JR logo (west).svg|20px]] [[JR West]] - [[JR Kobe Line|Kobe Line]]
* {{STN|Kōshienguchi|x}} - {{STN|Nishinomiya|x|JR West}} - {{STN|Sakura Shukugawa|x}}
[[File:JR logo (west).svg|20px]] [[JR West]] - [[Fukuchiyama Line]]
* {{STN|Namaze|x}} - {{STN|Nishinomiyanajio|x}} - {{STN|Takedao|x}}

[[File:Hankyu Railway Logo.svg|25px]] [[Hankyu]] - [[Hankyu Kobe Main Line]]
* {{STN|Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi|x}} - {{STN| Shukugawa|x}}
[[File:Hankyu Railway Logo.svg|25px]] [[Hankyu]] - [[Hankyu Imazu Line]]
* {{STN|Kōtōen|x}} - {{STN|Mondo-Yakujin|x}} - {{STN|Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi|x}} - {{STN|Hanshin-Kokudō|x}} - {{STN|Imazu|x|Hyōgo}}
[[File:Hankyu Railway Logo.svg|25px]] [[Hankyu]] - [[Hankyu Kōyō Line]]
*{{STN|Shukugawa|x}} - {{STN|Kurakuenguchi|x}} - {{STN|Kōyōen|x}}
[[File:Hanshin-logo.svg|25px]] [[Hanshin Electric Railway]] - [[Hanshin Main Line]]
* {{STN|Naruo - Mukogawajoshidai-Mae|x}} - {{STN|Kōshien|x}} - {{STN|Kusugawa|x}} - {{STN|Imazu|x|Hyōgo}} - {{STN|Nishinomiya|x|Hanshin}} - {{STN|Kōroen|x}}
[[File:Hanshin-logo.svg|25px]] [[Hanshin Electric Railway]] - [[Hanshin Mukogawa Line]]
* {{STN|Mukogawa|x}} - {{STN|Higashi-Naruo|x}} - {{STN|Suzaki|x}} - {{STN|Mukogawadanchimae|x}}

=== Highways ===
* [[File:JP Expressway E1.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] [[Meishin Expressway]]
* [[File:JP Expressway E2A.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] [[Chūgoku Expressway]]
* [[Kita-Kobe Route|Hanshin Expressway Route 7 Kita-kobe Line]]
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|2}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|43}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|171}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|176}}

== International relations ==
;Sister cities
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Spokane, Washington|Spokane]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], United States, since September 1961
;Friendship cities
*{{flagicon|Brazil}} [[Londrina]], [[Paraná (state)|Paraná]], Brazil, since May 1977
*{{flagicon|PRC}} [[Shaoxing]], [[Zhejiang]], China, since July 1985
*{{flagicon|France}} District of [[Lot-et-Garonne]] and [[Agen]], [[Nouvelle-Aquitaine]], France, since April, 1992
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Burlington, Vermont|Burlington]], [[Vermont]], United States
*{{flagicon|Japan}} [[Amami, Kagoshima|Amami]], [[Kagoshima Prefecture]], Japan, since October 1981 (formerly [[Naze, Kagoshima|Naze]])
*{{flagicon|Japan}} [[Yusuhara, Kōchi|Yusuhara]],[[Kōchi Prefecture]], Japan, since March 1991

==Local attractions==
[[File:Hanshin Koshien Stadium 2007-4.jpg|thumb|220px|Koshien Stadium]]
* [[Arima Onsen]]（neighboring city, but formerly Arima County) – accessible via one bus ride from [[Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station|Nishinomiya Kitaguchi station]] and [[Shukugawa Station|Shukugawa station]] and [[Nishinomiya Station (Hanshin)|Hanshin Nishinomiya station]] and [[Nishinomiya Station (JR West)|JR Nishinomiya station]]
*[[Hirota Shrine]] – aristocrats in Kyoto called the shrine {{nihongo|''Nishi no miya''|"the West Shrine"}}; that is the origin of the city name.<ref>{{cite web | author = Hirota Shino Shirine | title = HIROTA SHINTO SHRINE | url = http://www.hirotahonsya.or.jp/english.html | access-date = 2011-01-17 }}</ref>
*[[Hyogo Performing Arts Center]]
*[[Kannō-ji]]
* [[Kitayama Botanical Garden]]
*[[Koshikiiwa Shrine]]
*Mondo-yakujin (Tōkō-ji)
* [[Mount Kabuto]]
*[[Nishinomiya Shrine]]

==In popular culture==
*Much of ''[[Grave of the Fireflies]]'' is set in Nishinomiya.<ref>{{cite web | author = Ryuusenkaku | title = Cherry Blossoms Spots in Nishinomiya / Ashiya | url = http://www.ryuusenkaku.jp/english/cherry02.html | access-date = 2011-01-17 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | author = Online Ghibli | title = Grave of the Fireflies: Review/Synopsis | url = http://www.onlineghibli.com/grave_of_fireflies/review.php | access-date = 2011-01-17 }}</ref>
*Nishinomiya is the setting for the popular light novel, manga and anime series ''[[list of Haruhi Suzumiya episodes|The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya]]''.<ref>{{cite web | author = asahi.com | date = 2010-07-08 | title = Anime's high school fends off fan invasions. | url = http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201007070409.html | access-date = 2011-01-17 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110127220917/http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201007070409.html | archive-date = 2011-01-27 | url-status = live }}</ref>

==Notable people from Nishinomiya==
*[[Mana Ashida]] – teen actress
*[[Aimyon]] – singer-songwriter
*[[Kaoru Betto]] – baseball player
*[[Daisuke Inoue]] – inventor of the [[karaoke machine]]
*[[Kaoru (musician)|Kaoru]] – lead guitarist of [[Dir En Grey]]
*[[Rika Kihira]] – figure skater
*[[Hiro Matsushita]] – Businessman, former [[Champ Car World Series]] driver, chairman of [[Swift Engineering]] & Swift Xi Inc.
*[[Yuya Matsushita]] – singer and actor
*[[Mina (Japanese singer)|Mina]] – singer based in [[South Korea]], member of the popular K-pop girl group [[TWICE]]
*[[Shizuka Miyaji]] – female cricketer
*[[Yuichiro Nagashima]] – [[Kickboxing|kickboxer]]
*Ryusei Onishi – member of the boy band [[Naniwa Danshi]]
*[[Eizo Sakamoto]] – heavy metal musician
*[[Ryūsui Seiryōin]] – novelist
*[[Daisuke Shima]] – actor and singer
*[[Nagaru Tanigawa]] – author of the light novel series [[Haruhi Suzumiya]]
*[[Akira Tozawa]] – professional wrestler
*[[Hōsei Yamasaki]] – comedian

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Nishinomiya_City_Scenery.jpg|Nishinomiya cityscape
</gallery>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Nishinomiya}}
* {{Wikivoyage-inline|Nishinomiya}}
* {{osmrelation-inline|900312}}
* [http://www.nishi.or.jp Nishinomiya City official website] {{in lang|ja}}
* [http://www1.gcenter-hyogo.jp/sysfile/center_e/e_top.html Hyogo Performing Arts Center]

{{Metropolitan cities of Japan}}
{{Most populous cities in Japan}}

{{Hyogo}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Nishinomiya| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Hyōgo Prefecture]]
[[Category:Port settlements in Japan]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Japan]]