city, Hyōgo ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan. It lies on the west bank of the Ina River. Using the river water, the city produces dyed cloth and bleached and tanned leather. Fruit, flowers, and garden plants are cultivated on the river terrace to the south. The railway to Ōsaka and Kōbe reached Kawanishi in 1910. Since then the city has become a suburb of that metropolitan area. The nearby prefectural nature park attracts many tourists. Pop. (2005) 157,668.