, derived from the second kanji from and the first kanji from (but in ''on''-reading instead of ''kun''-reading), refers generally to Osaka, Kobe, and the surrounding area in the Kansai region of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. In the context of a region of

Hyōgo Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 () and has a geographic area of . Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to the southeast, an ...

, the term is used to refer to the 8 small municipalities ( Amagasaki, Ashiya, Inagawa,

Itami 270px, Gogadzuka Kofun 270px, Aerial view of Itami city center 270px, Konoike inari shihi 270px, Arioka Castle ruins ) is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 197,215 in 83580 households and a ...

, Kawanishi, Nishinomiya, Sanda and Takarazuka) located close to the northern coast of Osaka Bay between the two large cities of Kobe and Osaka. In some contexts, the eastern Higashinada and Nada wards of Kobe and Nishiyodagawa Ward of Osaka are also included. The name ''Hanshin'' may also refer to: * Hanshin Department Store, a chain of department stores based in Osaka * Hanshin Electric Railway, a railway that links Osaka and Kobe ** Hanshin Main Line, a line operated by the railway * Hanshin Expressway, a network of tolled highways surrounding Osaka, Kobe, and Kyoto * Hanshin Industrial Region, the industrial region encompassing Osaka and Kobe metropolitan areas * Hanshin Racecourse, a horse racetrack in Takarazuka, Hyogo * Hanshin Tigers, a professional baseball team in Nishinomiya, Hyogo

See also