Meguro

Meguro (目黒区, Meguro-ku) is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It calls itself Meguro City in English.

Meguro hosts fifteen foreign embassies and consulates. One of Tokyo's most exclusive residential neighborhoods (Kakinokizaka) is located in Meguro.

As of December 31, 2007, the ward has an estimated population of 259,968 and a density of 17,685 persons per km². The total area is 14.70 km².

The ward was founded on March 15, 1947.

History

The Higashiyama shell mound contains remains from the paleolithic, Jōmon, Yayoi, and Kofun periods.

The area now known as Meguro was originally two towns, Meguro proper and Hibusuma, all parts of the former Ebara District of Musashi Province. The two were merged into a Meguro ward for Tokyo City in 1932 and since then the ward has remained with no alterations to its territory.

Geography

Hokusai ukiyo-e of a view of Mount Fuji from Shimo Meguro.

Four other special wards surround Meguro. They are Shibuya (to the northeast), Setagaya (to the west), Ōta (to the south) and Shinagawa (to the southeast).

Districts

Meguro Area

Aobadai Ōhashi Kamimeguro Gohongi Komaba Shimomeguro

Nakachō Nakameguro Higashiyama Mita Meguro Yūtenji

Hibusuma Area

Ōokayama Kakinokizaka Jiyūgaoka Senzoku Tairamachi Takaban Chūōchō Nakane

Haramachi Higashigaoka Himonya Midorigaoka Minami Megurohonchō Yakumo

Politics and government

The current mayor is Aoki Eiji, an independent. Meguro has a city assembly with 36 elected members.

Elections

• Meguro local election, 2007
• Meguro mayoral election, 2008

Transportation

Further information: [[:Transportation in Greater Tokyo]]

Nakameguro Station

Rail

• Tokyu Corporation
  • Tōyoko Line: Naka-Meguro, Yutenji, Gakugei Daigaku, Toritsu Daigaku, Jiyugaoka Stations
  • Ōimachi Line: Jiyugaoka, Midorigaoka, Ōokayama Stations
  • Meguro Line: Ōokayama, Senzoku Stations
  • Den-en-toshi Line: Ikejiri-Ōhashi Station
• Keio Electric Railway Keiō Inokashira Line: Komaba-Todaimae Station
• Note: Meguro Station (JR, Tokyu Meguro Line, Tokyo Metro Namboku Line, Toei Mita Line) is in Shinagawa, not Meguro.

Highway

• Shuto Expressway No.3 Shibuya Route (Tanimachi JCT - Yoga)

Education

Colleges and universities

• University of Tokyo Komaba Campus
• Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Note: Tokyo Gakugei University and Tokyo Metropolitan University were formerly in Meguro. They have moved, but railway stations named for them retain their names.

Public schools

Public elementary and junior high schools are operated by the Meguro City Board of Education. Public high schools are operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education.

• Geijutsu High School [1]
• International High School [2]
• Komaba High School [3]
• Meguro High School [4]
• Tokyo Metropolitan University High School [5]

In addition the metropolis operates a consolidated junior and senior high school called Ohsyukan Secondary Education School [6].

Economy

Companies

• TopTour Corporation

Private international high schools

• KAIS International School
• St. Mary's International School

Culture

• Meguro Museum of Art, Tokyo

Religious institutions

• Himonya Catholic Church
• Himonya Hachiman Shrine
• Ōtori Shrine
• Ryūsen-ji (Meguro Fudo temple). Its black-eyed (me-guro) statue of Fudo gave Meguro its name.
• Yūten-ji

Famous people

• Yumiko Fujita: actress
• Waka Inoue: model, actress
• Masako, Crown Princess of Japan
• Shigeru Izumiya: folk singer, entertainer
• Kazuo Tokumitsu: announcer

Notable residents

• Takuya Kimura: singer and actor in male idol group SMAP
• Shizuka Kudo: popular singer, Takuya Kimura's wife
• Keisuke Kuwata: singer, Southern All Stars
• Nobuyo Ōyama: voices the cartoon character Doraemon
• Miyu Uehara: Gravule idol, found dead in her Meguro apartment.
• Halca & Yucali of the Hip-hop duo Halcali

See also

• Meguro Parasitological Museum, probably the world's only parasite museum

External links

• Meguro City official website in English
• Wikitravel: Tokyo/Meguro