Nishinomiya, Hyogo

Nishinomiya 西宮市
Core city
Shukugawa Park in spring
Flag
Location of Nishinomiya in Hyōgo
Nishinomiya Location in Japan
Coordinates: 34°44′15.35″N 135°20′29.63″E / 34.7375972°N 135.3415639°E / 34.7375972; 135.3415639Coordinates: 34°44′15.35″N 135°20′29.63″E / 34.7375972°N 135.3415639°E / 34.7375972; 135.3415639
Country	Japan
Region	Kansai
Prefecture	Hyōgo
Government
• Mayor	Masahiro Kouno
Area
• Total	99.96 km2 (38.59 sq mi)
Population (May 1, 2016)
• Total	488,335
• Density	4,885/km2 (12,650/sq mi)
Symbols
• Tree	Camphor Laurel
• Flower	Sakura
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City hall address	10-3 Rokutanji-chō, Nishinomiya-shi, Hyōgo-ken 662-8567
Website	www.nishi.or.jp

Nishinomiya (西宮市, Nishinomiya-shi^?) is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, between the cities of Amagasaki and Ashiya. On April 1, 2005, the city of Nishinomiya celebrated its 80th anniversary. It is best known as the home of Kōshien Stadium, where the Hanshin Tigers baseball team plays home games and where Japan's annual high school baseball championship is held. It is also the location of Kwansei Gakuin University, a private university founded by American missionaries in the nineteenth century. Nishinomiya is an important commercial and shipping city in the Kansai region with the third largest population in Hyōgo Prefecture.

As of October 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 483,598 and a population density of 4,800 persons per km². The total area is 99.96 km².

Nishinomiya City is located in the south-east of 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 along the Mukogawa and Nigawa rivers to the east and by a part of the Rokko Mountains and Kobe City 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.