Understand
The city is the setting for much of the Studio Ghibli film, Grave of the Fireflies (http://www.onlineghibli.c...). 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. Remember that while taking picturesof 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 (http://hankyudensha-movie.com/), where stations from Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station to Takarazuka Station appear in the movie.
