Nishinomiya
Discover Nishinomiya
Nishinomiya (西宮) is a city of about 485,000 (2022) in Hyogo prefecture, Japan, between Kobe and Osaka. The city is the setting for much of the Studio Ghibli film Grave of the Fireflies (火垂るの墓, hotaru no haka), which is based on a novel by Akiyuki Nosaka. There was heavy damage throughout the city from the Great Hanshin Earthquake on January 17, 1995. This city is also the setting for the anime The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱). While taking pictures of Nishinomiya-Kita High School (where much of the anime is set) from the outside is perfectly legal, entering the gates to take pictures inside is not. Hankyu Imazu line is the setting for Hankyu Railway movie (阪急電車 片道15分の奇跡), where stations from Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station to Takarazuka Station appear in the movie.
What to Experience in Nishinomiya
Taste of Nishinomiya...
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Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsNishinomiya has access to three airports: Kansai International Airport (KIX), Kobe Airport (UKB), and Osaka International Airport (ITM). Despite its name, Osaka International Airport is a domestic airport. There is bus service to and from the airport for ¥700 to Hanshin Koshien (甲子園) Station. Kansai International Airport also has bus service for ¥1700 (or ¥3000 round trip) to and from JR Nishinomiya, Hankyu Nishinomiya-kitaguchi, and Hanshin Nishinomiya stations. The Shinkansen (新幹線) is another option when traveling from other parts of Japan. Nishinomiya can be reached from either Shin-Kobe or Shin-Osaka stations. A one-way reserved ticket on the Nozomi from Tokyo to Osaka costs ¥14,050. A one-way reserved ticket on the Hikari Railstar from Hiroshima to Kobe costs ¥9740. Visitors can then take the subway or train to get to the city. To get from Shin-Kobe to Nishinomiya, take the ¥200 subway to Sannomiya and then either JR, Hanshin, or Hankyu train lines into Nishinomiya....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
There are three main train lines running through Nishinomiya: JR, Hanshin (阪神), and Hankyu (阪急). They run parallel to each other and go from east to west, with the Hanshin and Hankyu lines connected by the short Imazu Minami line between Hanshin Imazu station and Nishinomiya-kitaguchi (西宮北口). Hanshin and Hankyu buses also run throughout the city, though it can be difficult to travel from north to south. Hanami. Go to Shukugawa Park (夙川公園) end of March/early April for Nishinomiya's most popular hanami location. There are over 2300 cherry blossom trees along the Shukugawa River that stretches all the way from Hanshin Koroen Station to Hankyu Kurakuen-guchi station. Get off at either of these train stations or Hankyu Shukugawa Station to enjoy the festival. Mukogawa Cycling Road. This is a 7.1-km-long cycling road along the Mukogawa River from the JR line to Hanshin line. It's a nice place to enjoy cycling free of cars. Bikes can be rented for the day at hotels in the area.
Safety Information
Glimpses of Nishinomiya
Pedestrian overpass. 2024-02-04 @ P9V4+PCX
A vending machine at the entrance to a residential building is illuminated by warm light, while the area right next to it has bright white lights, creating a nice contrast. 2024-05-03
Part of the large parking garage of Lapitas 31, a residential apartment high-rise building in Nishinomiya, Japan. 2024-02-04 @ P9V3+XMR
A night-time view over parts of Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan. 2024-05-03
A vending machine and lantern can be seen outside an eatery in Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan. More lanterns line the street in the background. 2024-02-04 @ P9V5+R4Q
Nishinomiya Kitaguchi. 2024-02-04 @ P9W4+W97
A tiled wall with a wall-mounted lamp can be seen in the foreground. The background shows a blurred night-time cityscape of Nishinomiya. 2024-05-03
Mamiya7
Pedestrian overpass. 2024-02-04 @ P9V4+PCX
A vending machine at the entrance to a residential building is illuminated by warm light, while the area right next to it has bright white lights, creating a nice contrast. 2024-05-03
Part of the large parking garage of Lapitas 31, a residential apartment high-rise building in Nishinomiya, Japan. 2024-02-04 @ P9V3+XMR
A night-time view over parts of Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan. 2024-05-03
A vending machine and lantern can be seen outside an eatery in Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan. More lanterns line the street in the background. 2024-02-04 @ P9V5+R4Q