Netorabo Research’s 2025 ranking of “Cities in Hyogo Prefecture Where People Want to Live Permanently” is out, and Nishinomiya has once again taken the No. 1 spot.
This ranking is based on 930 votes collected by Netorabo in 2025 from men and women living in Hyogo Prefecture.
According to the article, Nishinomiya’s appeal looks something like this:
- Great transportation access! Both Osaka-Umeda Station and Kobe-Sannomiya Station are about 20 minutes away
- Upscale residential areas such as the “Nishinomiya Nanaen” neighborhoods are popular as high-end bedroom communities
- Plenty of large commercial facilities, including “LaLaport Koshien” and “Hankyu Nishinomiya Gardens”
- Home to the sacred ground of baseball, “Hanshin Koshien Stadium”
- Also home to “Nishinomiya Shrine,” known for the Lucky Man race
- Lots of parks, including the Shukugawa riverside area famous for cherry blossoms
It’s also getting high praise on social media, with comments like “an easy, pleasant city to live in,” “it really is a sake town,” “a fierce battleground for sweets,” “easy to get to both Osaka and Kobe,” and “a convenient and beautiful city.”
Cherry blossoms at Kitayama Botanical Garden
Shin Nishinomiya Yacht Harbor
Hanshin Koshien Stadium
Nishinomiya Shrine
Now, let’s take a look at the top 10.
| Rank | Municipality / Ward | Votes |
| 1 | Nishinomiya City / Kobe City Higashinada Ward ※tie | 106 |
| 3 | Akashi City | 95 |
| 4 | Kobe City Chuo Ward | 57 |
| 5 | Ashiya City | 51 |
| 6 | Kobe City Nada Ward | 50 |
| 7 | Kobe City Suma Ward | 48 |
| 8 | Sanda City | 47 |
| 9 | Kobe City Tarumi Ward | 43 |
| 10 | Himeji City / Takarazuka City ※tie | 36 |
Kobe City’s Higashinada Ward tied for first place with the same number of votes. Its good transportation access and many sake breweries are pretty similar to Nishinomiya City.
Nishitsu has previously written about other rankings where Nishinomiya placed near the top.
Finally
It really makes you feel that Nishinomiya has so many things to be proud of. People say “home is where you make it,” but maybe Nishinomiya is “a place that feels like home even if you’ve never lived there.” Convenient, full of nature, and easy to live in: that sounds perfect for settling down permanently!
