is a city in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on January 1, 1950. As of June 1, 2019, the city has an estimated population of 51,241 and a population density of 95.6 persons per km2. The total area is 536.11 km2. History Nichinan began as part of the Fujiwara Shōen in the Heian period. The city's history and development were heavily influenced by the history of Obi town, a district of Nichinan which still exists today. Obi was one of the eight districts of Hyūga, an old province in eastern Japan, which was ruled by the Itō clan based at Obi Castle. Throughout the Sengoku period, the Itō clan's most serious rival was the neighbouring Shimazu clan. The Shimazu clan had unified Satsuma Province and Ōsumi Province under its control, and began to clash with the Itō clan in 1570. The Itō clan was finally defeated by the Shimazu clan in 1578. After seeking help from then Shōgun Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the family's lands were restored in 1587 after his invasion of Kyūshū and subjugation of the Shimazu clan. By the Edo Era, the Itō clan regained its holdings, which came to be known as the Obi Domain. In the period after the Edo period, efforts were poured into quality education at the Shintoku Clan School in Obi. The school is where the Meiji period diplomat Marquis Komura Jutarō graduated from. On January 1, 1950, the city was established through an amalgamation of Agata town, Aburatsu town, Obi town, and Togo village. On February 1, 1955, Futo village and Hosoda town joined the city district. The current Nichinan city was established on April 1, 1956, when it amalgamated with Sakatani village, Kahara village, and the Odotsu district. Since 1963, Nichinan has been the spring training location for the Hiroshima Carp baseball team. In 1998, plans were made to extend the eastern Kyūshū expressway to come as far as Kitagō town and Nichinan. In 1999, a 12-meter wharf was completed at the eastern head of Aburatsu port. Aburatsu's increasing role as a harbor has made it a regular stopover for both domestic and foreign ships, and it is becoming an authentic international trading port. From 2001 to 2010, a general plan for the future of Nichinan was drawn up, with the simple theme of progressing Nichinan as, "a city that combines its fragrant history and culture with the sunshine and