Nishinomiya, Hyogo
Encyclopedia
is a city
located in Hyōgo
, Japan
, between the cities of Ōsaka
and Kōbe
. 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.
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.
To promote small and middle-size businesses and to improve the living environment in area where houses stand next to factories, the city conducted a collective relocation program of industrial facilities to Naruo-hama and Nishinomiya-hama reclaimed lands.
In general, local industries face difficulties due to the damage caused by the Great Hanshin earthquake
and the present economic recession. The number of business establishments, employees, and the shipping volume of local industry is decreasing.
}Spokane
since September, 1961 (U.S.
, Washington)
}Londrina
since May, 1977 (Brazil
, Paraná
)
}Shaoxing
since July, 1985 (China
, Zhejiang
)
} District of Lot-et-Garonne
and Agen
since April, 1992 (France
,
}Burlington
(U.S.
, Vermont
)
Aquitaine
)
} Amami
since October, 1981 (Japan, Kagoshima
) (formerly Naze
)
} Yusuhara
since March, 1991 (Japan, Kochi
)
Cities of Japan
||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...
located in Hyōgo
Hyogo Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, between the cities of Ōsaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
and Kōbe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
. On April 1, 2005, the city of Nishinomiya celebrated its 80th anniversary. It is best known as the home of Kōshien Stadium
Koshien Stadium
is a baseball park located near Kobe in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. The stadium was built to host the national high school baseball tournaments, and opened on April 1, 1924. It was the largest stadium in Asia at the time it was completed, with a capacity of 55,000.The name Kōshien comes...
, where the Hanshin Tigers
Hanshin Tigers
The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Koshien, Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and are in the Central League. Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd., the subsidiary of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., owns the Hanshin Tigers directly...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team plays home games and where Japan's annual high school baseball championship
High school baseball in Japan
In Japan, high school baseball generally refers to the two annual baseball tournaments played by high schools nationwide culminating at a final showdown at Hanshin Kōshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Japan...
is held. It is also the location of Kwansei Gakuin University
Kwansei Gakuin University
, colloquially abbreviated to , is a non-denominational Christian private and coeducational university located in Nishinomiya, Sanda, Osaka City, and Tokyo, Japan....
, 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.
Topography
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 TakarazukaTakarazuka
Takarazuka can refer to* Takarazuka, a city in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan* Takarazuka Revue, a popular all-female acting troupe in Japan that takes place in Tokyo Takarazuka Theater.* Takarazuka Eiga, a film production company from Takarazuka Revue theater...
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.
History
- April 1, 1924: Opening of Kōshien Stadium
- April 1925: Nishinomiya Town became a municipal organization.
- April 1933: City merged with Imazu Town, Shiba Village and Taisha Village.
- February 1941: City merged with Koto Village.
- May 1942: City merged with Kawaragi Village.
- April 1951: City merged with Naruo Village, Yamaguchi Village, and Shiose Village.
- January 17, 1995: Great Hanshin earthquakeGreat Hanshin earthquakeThe Great Hanshin earthquake, or Kobe earthquake, was an earthquake that occurred on Tuesday, January 17, 1995, at 05:46 JST in the southern part of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. It measured 6.8 on the moment magnitude scale , and Mj7.3 on JMA magnitude scale. The tremors lasted for approximately 20...
disaster. Nishinomiya City received widespread damage.
Industry
Based on shipping volume, Nishinomiya ranks eighth in Hyōgo Prefecture as of 2001, with food processing industries making up 78.1% of the total. Of this percentage, sake production accounts for 24.3%.To promote small and middle-size businesses and to improve the living environment in area where houses stand next to factories, the city conducted a collective relocation program of industrial facilities to Naruo-hama and Nishinomiya-hama reclaimed lands.
In general, local industries face difficulties due to the damage caused by the Great Hanshin earthquake
Great Hanshin earthquake
The Great Hanshin earthquake, or Kobe earthquake, was an earthquake that occurred on Tuesday, January 17, 1995, at 05:46 JST in the southern part of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. It measured 6.8 on the moment magnitude scale , and Mj7.3 on JMA magnitude scale. The tremors lasted for approximately 20...
and the present economic recession. The number of business establishments, employees, and the shipping volume of local industry is decreasing.
Agriculture
Since most of the farmland is located within the urban district, Nishinomiya agriculture is in a difficult situation and it worsens every year. Currently, efforts are being made to improve farming in order 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.Universities and colleges
- Konan UniversityKonan Universityis a university located on the slopes of Rokko Mountain in Higashinada-ku, the city of Kobe, Japan. A private university with approximately 10,000 students, the university offers a wide variety of programs to Japanese students, as well as an international exchange program through the Konan...
Nishinomiya Campus "Konan Cube" - Kwansei Gakuin UniversityKwansei Gakuin University, colloquially abbreviated to , is a non-denominational Christian private and coeducational university located in Nishinomiya, Sanda, Osaka City, and Tokyo, Japan....
- Otemae UniversityOtemae UniversityOtemae University is a liberal arts oriented school that began in 1946. It is in the Kansai region of Japan and has three campuses: one in Itami, one in Osaka, and a co-educational university in Nishinomiya. The school has research institutes in history and intercultural studies...
- Kobe CollegeKobe College, abbreviated to , is a private non-sectarian liberal arts college located in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo, Japan. Chartered in 1948, it is the first women's college with university status in West Japan.-Campus:...
(Women's university) - Seiwa CollegeSeiwa Collegeis a private university in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1880, and it was chartered as a university in 1950. In 1964 it became a four-year college.-External links:*...
and Junior College - Hyogo College Of Medicine
- Mukogawa Women's UniversityMukogawa Women's Universityis a private university located near Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo, Japan. The school was founded in 1939.The school has an international branch campus in Spokane, Washington, USA: Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute.-History:...
and Junior College - Shukugawa Gakuin Junior College
- Koshien Junior College
Culture
- Hirota ShrineHirota Shrine' is a Shinto shrine in Nishinomiya City, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Nishinomiya literally means "shrine of the west," and the town is in fact named after Hirota Shrine.-Location:...
- Hirota Shrine was called by aristocrats in Kyoto. That is the origin of the city name. - Hyogo Performing Arts CenterHyogo Performing Arts CenterThe ' is a Performing arts center in the city of Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, next to Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station operated by Hankyu Corporation...
- Kannō-jiKanno-jiKannō-ji is a Buddhist temple in the middle of Mount Kabutoyama in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo, Japan. The other name of the temple is Kabutoyama-daishi .-Objects of Worship:...
- Koshikiiwa ShrineKoshikiiwa Shrine' is a Shinto shrine in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo, Japan. The other name of this shrine is Ebisu Daijingū. The focus of this shrine is a megalith called 'Koshiki-iwa', literally, 'Rice Steamer Rock', because ancient Japanese thought the shape resembled a traditional rice steamer...
- Nishinomiya ShrineNishinomiya Shrine' is a Shinto shrine in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo, Japan. It is the head shrine of the Ebisu sect of Shinto, and it is said that there are about 3,500 shrines under it. Locals call the shrine ‘Ebessan’. It is famous for the Tōka-Ebisu festival, which is held on January 10 every year. Particular to this...
- Mondo-yakujin (Tōkō-ji)
- Much of Grave of the FirefliesGrave of the Firefliesis a 1988 Japanese animated war tragedy film written and directed by Isao Takahata. This is the first film produced by Shinchosha, who hired Studio Ghibli to do the animation production work...
is set in Nishinomiya. - Nishinomiya is the implied setting for the popular light novel, manga, and anime series The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.
Sister and friendship cities
- Sister cities
}Spokane
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
since September, 1961 (U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Washington)
- Friendship cities
}Londrina
Londrina
Londrina is a city located in the northern region of the state of Paraná, Brazil, and is 369 km away from the capital, Curitiba. Londrina was originally founded by British settlers. The city exerts great influence on Paraná and Brazil's south region...
since May, 1977 (Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Paraná
Paraná (state)
Paraná is one of the states of Brazil, located in the South of the country, bordered on the north by São Paulo state, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Santa Catarina state and the Misiones Province of Argentina, and on the west by Mato Grosso do Sul and the republic of Paraguay,...
)
}Shaoxing
Shaoxing
Shaoxing is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. Located on the south bank of the Qiantang River estuary, it borders Ningbo to the east, Taizhou to the southeast, Jinhua to the southwest, and Hangzhou to the west. It was once known as "越"...
since July, 1985 (China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
)
} District of Lot-et-Garonne
Lot-et-Garonne
Lot-et-Garonne is a department in the southwest of France named after the Lot and Garonne rivers.-History:Lot-et-Garonne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
and Agen
Agen
Agen is a commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department in Aquitaine in south-western France. It lies on the river Garonne southeast of Bordeaux. It is the capital of the department.-Economy:The town has a higher level of unemployment than the national average...
since April, 1992 (France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
,
}Burlington
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
(U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
)
Aquitaine
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
)
} Amami
Amami, Kagoshima
is a city located on Amami Ōshima in Kagoshima, Japan.The city was formed on March 20, 2006 from the merger of the old city of Naze with the town of Kasari, and the village of Sumiyō, both from Ōshima District....
since October, 1981 (Japan, Kagoshima
Kagoshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...
) (formerly Naze
Naze, Kagoshima
Naze was a city located on Amami Ōshima in Kagoshima, Japan.On March 20, 2006 Naze was merged with the town of Kasari, and the village of Sumiyō, both from Ōshima District, to form the new city of Amami....
)
} Yusuhara
Yusuhara, Kochi
is a town located in Takaoka District, Kōchi, Japan.As of 2010, the town has an estimated population of 3,891 and a density of 16.5 persons per km². The total area is 236.51 km².-Transportation:Railway Lines* The nearest station is Susaki Station in Susaki....
since March, 1991 (Japan, Kochi
Kochi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the south coast of Shikoku. The capital is the city of Kōchi.- History :Prior to the Meiji Restoration, Kōchi was known as Tosa Province and was controlled by the Chosokabe clan in the Sengoku period and the Yamauchi family during the Edo period.- Geography...
)
Special products
- Sake - Japanese Rice Wine
- Najio Japanese Paper
- Bamboo Crafts
- Japanese Candles
Notable people
- Nagaru TanigawaNagaru Tanigawais a Japanese author from Hyōgo Prefecture, in the Kinki region of Japan. He is a graduate of the law school at Kwansei Gakuin University. He is best known for The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya for which he won the grand prize at eighth annual Sneaker Awards and has been adapted as an anime...
- author of the light novel series Haruhi SuzumiyaHaruhi Suzumiyais the general name for a series of light novels written by Nagaru Tanigawa and illustrated by Noizi Ito which were subsequently adapted into other media. The story follows the title character Haruhi Suzumiya, a high school girl who can unconsciously change reality, and her strange antics with her... - Yuichiro NagashimaYuichiro Nagashimais a Japanese welterweight kickboxer, and a Cosplayer, fighting out of Nishinomiya, Hyogo, currently competing at K-1. His rank is black belt of 2nd dan of Nippon Kempo.-Early life:...
- Japanese Kick Boxer - Ryūsui SeiryōinRyusui Seiryoinis a Japanese novelist, active in mystery and various other fields. He was born in 1974, in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. He won the 2nd Mephisto prize in 1996 while in Kyoto University, and started to work as a novelist. After that, Ryusui published over 60 novels. His works are always controversial...
- Japanese novelist - Hōsei YamasakiHōsei Yamasakiis a Japanese solo comedian and a member of Yoshimoto Kogyo’s extensive owarai lineup. He is best known for being one of the five members of Downtown Gaki no Tsukai’s regular cast. His role on the show is usually divided up between the suberi-kyara and the ijime-kyara...
- Japanese comedian - Eizo SakamotoEizo Sakamotois a Japanese heavy metal musician who was born in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture. He is most famous for being the lead vocalist of 1980s band Anthem. In the 1990s he started up the band Animetal which performed heavy metal covers of anime and tokusatsu opening and closing themes. He also was...
- heavy metal musician - Soyo OkaSoyo Okais a Japanese composer, musician and author, formerly employed by Nintendo. She is best recognized for her video game soundtracks during the 1980s and 1990s.-Biography:Oka was born in Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan...
- Video Game music composer - Mana AshidaMana Ashidais a Japanese child actress, Tarento and singer from Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture. She is currently represented by JobbyKids.Mana Ashida first acted Asahi Broadcasting Corporation's ABC Short Movie 2, though she rose to prominence only after she starred in the popular television drama Mother...
- Japanese child actor