Minoru Nishina

Nishina presents himself as a knowledgeable food writer and is sufficiently successful to hold public autograph sessions. He interacts politely with readers such as Ran Mouri, who enjoys his work and encourages him to continue writing about food.

His professional confidence is not always matched by practical expertise. At Aquacrystal, his inability to distinguish wines as accurately as his reputation suggests becomes apparent, particularly when compared with professional sommelier Kohei Sawaki.

When the guests realize they have been gathered inside a dangerous situation, Nishina participates in their attempts to understand the numbered pattern and escape the sealed complex rather than taking an investigative lead himself.

Nishina is an ordinary human with no combat or supernatural abilities. His professional field is gourmet writing, and he has published works concerning food and wine.

His knowledge is primarily that of an author rather than a trained sommelier. During a wine-tasting challenge at Aquacrystal, Nishina mistakes a Château Pétrus for a much less expensive wine, exposing a gap between his reputation as a gourmet writer and his actual ability to evaluate wine.

He nevertheless has enough knowledge of food and dining to maintain a successful writing career and attract readers such as Ran Mouri.

Nishina is introduced at an autograph event attended by Ran Mouri and Sonoko Suzuki. Ran is an admirer of his gourmet writing and asks him to continue producing enjoyable books.

He later arrives at Aquacrystal after receiving an invitation supposedly from its owner, Katsuyoshi Asahi. There he joins Nana Osanai, Eimei Shishido, Peter Ford, Kohei Sawaki and the Mouri party.

Nishina's name corresponds to the number two, making him one of the apparent targets in the playing-card sequence. The gathering is ultimately part of Sawaki's elaborate attempt to disguise his personal targets among people selected to fit the numerical pattern associated with Jo Murakami and Kogoro.

Nishina is one of the people Sawaki personally resents. Sawaki regards him as an unqualified gourmet writer, and Nishina's poor performance when identifying wine reinforces the reason for that contempt. He nevertheless survives the events at Aquacrystal.

Ran Mouri is a reader of Nishina's work and attends his autograph session with Sonoko Suzuki. She enthusiastically encourages him to continue writing his gourmet books.

Kohei Sawaki encounters Nishina at Aquacrystal as the group's professional sommelier. [Kohei Sawaki privately despises Nishina because he considers him an incompetent gourmet writer and deliberately includes him among the people endangered by his revenge scheme.](#spoiler)

Kogoro Mouri is present with Nishina at Aquacrystal and becomes central to the group's belief that the guests are being targeted according to their numerical connections.

Conan Edogawa investigates the pattern surrounding Nishina and the other guests, eventually determining why the apparent countdown has been constructed.

Nana Osanai, Eimei Shishido and Peter Ford are fellow invitees whose names or identities correspond to other values in the playing-card sequence.

Katsuyoshi Asahi is the owner in whose name Nishina receives his invitation to Aquacrystal.