is a special ward in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

. The English translation of its Japanese self-designation is Meguro City. The ward was founded on March 15, 1947. Meguro is predominantly residential in character, but is also home to light industry, corporate head offices, the Komaba campus of

University of Tokyo , abbreviated as or UTokyo, is a public research university located in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1877, the university was the first Imperial University and is currently a Top Type university of the Top Global University Project b ...

as well as fifteen foreign embassies and consulates. Residential neighborhoods include, Jiyugaoka, Kakinokizaka, and Nakameguro. As of May 1, 2015, the ward has an estimated

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction usi ...

of 277,171 and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

of 18,890 persons per km². The total area is 14.67 km². Meguro is also used to refer to the area around Meguro Station, which is not located in Meguro ward, but in neighboring

Shinagawa is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. The Ward refers to itself as Shinagawa City in English. The Ward is home to ten embassies. , the Ward had an estimated population of 380,293 and a population density of 16,510 persons per km2. The total are ...

's Kamiōsaki district.

History

The Higashiyama shell mound in the north of the ward contains remains from the

paleolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός '' palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone too ...

, Jōmon,

Yayoi The started at the beginning of the Neolithic in Japan, continued through the Bronze Age, and towards its end crossed into the Iron Age. Since the 1980s, scholars have argued that a period previously classified as a transition from the Jōmon p ...

, and

Kofun period The is an era in the history of Japan from about 300 to 538 AD (the date of the introduction of Buddhism), following the Yayoi period. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes collectively called the Yamato period. This period is ...

s. The area now known as Meguro was formerly two towns, Meguro proper and Hibusuma, all parts of the former Ebara District of

Musashi Province was a province of Japan, which today comprises Tokyo Metropolis, most of Saitama Prefecture and part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province encompassed Kawasaki and Yokohama. Musashi bordered on Kai, Kōzuke, Sagami, ...

. The two were merged into a Meguro ward for

Tokyo City was a municipality in Japan and part of Tokyo-fu which existed from 1 May 1889 until its merger with its prefecture on 1 July 1943. The historical boundaries of Tokyo City are now occupied by the Special Wards of Tokyo. The new merged gov ...

in 1932 and since then the ward has remained with no alterations to its territory. The name "Meguro", meaning "black eyes", derives from the Meguro Fudō (Black-eyed Fudō-myōō) of Ryūsenji. The Meguro Fudō was one of five Fudō-myōō statues placed at strategic points on the outskirts of

Edo Edo ( ja, , , "bay-entrance" or "estuary"), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo. Edo, formerly a ''jōkamachi'' (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the ''de facto'' capital of ...

in the early seventeenth century by the abbot Tenkai, an advisor to

Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fello ...

, to provide protection for the new capital of the Tokugawa shogunate. Each statue had eyes of a different color. ( Mejiro, a district in

Toshima is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the eight central wards of the Tokyo Metropolitan area. Located in the northern area of Tokyo, Toshima is bordered by the wards of Nerima, Itabashi, and Kita in the north and Nakano, Shinjuku, ...

ward, is named for the white-eyed Fudō-myōō).

Geography

Four other special wards surround Meguro. They are

Shibuya Shibuya (渋谷区 ''Shibuya-ku'') is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. As a major commercial and finance center, it houses two of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shinjuku Station (southern half) and Shibuya Station. As of April 1 ...

(to the northeast),

Setagaya is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is also the name of a neighborhood and administrative district within the ward. The ward calls itself Setagaya City in English. Its official bird is the azure-winged magpie, its flower is the fringed orch ...

(to the west), Ōta (to the south), and

(to the southeast).

Districts and neighborhoods

; Hibusuma Area * Chūōchō * Haramachi * Higashigaoka * Himonya *

Jiyūgaoka 'Liberty Hill' is a neighborhood in southern Meguro, Tokyo, Japan. It consists of districts 1-chome to 3-chome, and had a population of 7,231 as of January 2013. The name also refers to the broader area surrounding Jiyūgaoka Station, which inc ...

* Kakinokizaka * Megurohonchō * Midorigaoka * Minami * Nakane * Ōokayama * Senzoku * Tairamachi * Takaban * Yakumo * Hirachō ;

Meguro is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. The English translation of its Japanese self-designation is Meguro City. The ward was founded on March 15, 1947. Meguro is predominantly residential in character, but is also home to light industry, corporat ...

Area *

Aobadai is a district located in the northern portion of Meguro, Tokyo, Japan, which consists of 1 to 4-chōme. As of October 1, 2020, it has a total population of 8,362. Geography The Aobadai district borders Shinsenchō, Nanpeidaichō, Hachiyam ...

* Gohongi * Higashiyama * Kamimeguro *

Komaba is a residential neighborhood in the northern area of Meguro, Tokyo, Japan. Consisting of four districts, the neighborhood has a population of 6,847. The neighborhood is known as a center for education being the location of a number of select ...

* Mita * Nakachō * Nakameguro * Ōhashi *

Shimomeguro is a district located in the eastern portion of Meguro, Tokyo, Japan. It consists of 1- to 6-chōme. Shimomeguro is home to , also known as . is a historic hotel and restaurant building located on the eastern edge of Shimomeguro. Education ...

* Yūtenji * Sanda

Politics and government

Meguro ward government is led by the city assembly with 36 elected members with current terms from May 1, 2011 to April 30, 2015. The chairman of the council is Yoshiaki Ito. The mayor is Eiji Aoki, an independent. His term lasts until April 24, 2016.

Elections

2007 Meguro local election Meguro, Tokyo, held a local election for the city assembly on April 15, 2007. Results , - ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:left;" , Parties ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" , Votes ! style="background-color:#E9E9 ...

2008 Meguro mayoral election Meguro, Tokyo held a mayoral election on April 20, 2008. Incumbent Eiji Aoki won. Candidates * Eiji Aoki, 53, incumbent mayor, supported by the Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito, Democratic Party and the Social Democratic Party * Mariko Nozaw ...

Sightseeing and local landmarks

Green spaces

Meguro River The is a river which flows through Tokyo, Japan. Its tributaries include the Kitazawa River and the Karasuyama River. The river flows into Tokyo Bay near the Tennōzu Isle Station. The river is in length and passes through Setagaya, Meguro a ...

Komaba Park is a park in Meguro, Tokyo, Japan located adjacent to the University of Tokyo, Komaba Campus. History The land was the site of the Komaba Agricultural College in the Meiji Era and then the location of the Tokyo Imperial University Faculty of ...

, Komaba * Komabano Park, Komaba *

Komazawa Olympic Park Komazawa Olympic Park (駒沢オリンピック公園) located on land in both Meguro and Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan, is a sports facility that was constructed for the 1964 Summer Olympics. Approximately 90 per cent of the park's area is in Setaga ...

* Meguro Sky Garden, Ohashi Linear roof garden park spiraling 35 meters above street level covering the junction of two major expressways. * Saigoyama Park, Aobadai * Sugekari Park, Aobadai * Nakameguro Park and Nature Center * Himonya Park, Himonya

Cultural institutions

Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography The is an art museum concentrating on photography. As the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, it was founded by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and is in Meguro-ku, a short walk from Ebisu station in southwest Tokyo. The museum al ...

* Meguro Museum of Art, Tokyo * Meguro Persimmon Hall, concert and performance arts venue * Meguro Parasitological Museum *

Japanese Folk Crafts Museum The is a museum in Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan, dedicated to the hand-crafted art of ordinary people ('' mingei'').Access is from Komaba-Tōdaimae Station of Keio Inokashira Line. The museum was established in 1936 by Yanagi Sōetsu, the foun ...

* Chosenin Temple Contemporary Sculpture Museum

Religious institutions

* Himonya Catholic Church * St. Michael's Catholic Church (German Language) * Himonya Hachiman Shrine * Ōtori Shrine * Ryūsenji (Meguro Fudo temple) * Yūten-ji Temple * St. Paul's Church, Gohongi (

Anglican Church in Japan The ''Nippon Sei Ko Kai'' ( ja, 日本聖公会, translit=Nippon Seikōkai, lit=Japanese Holy Catholic Church), abbreviated as NSKK, sometimes referred to in English as the Anglican Episcopal Church in Japan, is the national Christian church rep ...

)

Transportation

Rail

Tokyu Corporation The is a Japanese multinational '' keiretsu'' (conglomerate) holding company headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo. Its main operation is , a wholly owned subsidiary operating railways in the Greater Tokyo Area. History The oldest predecessor ...

** 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 Corporation

Keiō Inokashira Line The is a railway line operated by the Japanese private railway operator Keio Corporation in the western suburbs of Tokyo, connecting in Tokyo with in Musashino City. It is not physically connected to the Keio Main Line Network, but a transf ...

: Komaba-Todaimae Station *Note: Meguro Station (

JR East The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters ar ...

, Tokyu Meguro Line, Tokyo Metro Namboku Line, Toei Mita Line) is in Shinagawa, not Meguro.

Highways

* Route 3 (Shuto Expressway) Shibuya radial route (Tanimachi JCT – Yoga) *

Central Circular Route The , signed as Route C2, is one of the routes of the Shuto Expressway system serving the central part of the Greater Tokyo Area. The route is a circumferential highway running through the outer wards of Tokyo. The route is the middle of four ...

C2. Completed in 2016 this deep level subterranean expressway connect the

Yamate Tunnel The carries the Central Circular Route (C2) of the Shuto Expressway in Tokyo, Japan, from the Takamatsu on-ramp in Toshima to near the Ōi Junction in Shinagawa. It has a length of . Lying below the surface, about 70 percent of the tunnel ...

as far as the

Bayshore Route The signed as Route B, is one of the routes of the tolled Shuto Expressway system in the Greater Tokyo Area. The Bayshore Route is a stretch of toll highway that runs from the Kanazawa ward of Yokohama in the west, northeast to the city of ...

Education

Colleges and universities

Komaba Campus *

Tokyo Institute of Technology is a national research university located in Greater Tokyo Area, Japan. Tokyo Tech is the largest institution for higher education in Japan dedicated to science and technology, one of first five Designated National University and selected as ...

* Note:

Tokyo Gakugei University Tokyo Gakugei University (東京学芸大学, ''Tōkyō gakugei daigaku'') is a national university in Koganei, Tokyo. Founded in 1873, it was chartered as a university in 1949. It is also known as ''Gakudai'' (学大) and TGU, for short. In ad ...

and

Tokyo Metropolitan University , often referred to as TMU, is a public research university in Japan. Origin The origin of Tokyo Metropolitan University was Prefectural Higher School, under the old system of education, established by Tokyo Prefecture in 1929 as the third pu ...

were formerly in Meguro.

Public schools

Metropolitan high schools are operated by the

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education (東京都教育委員会 ''Tōkyō-to Kyōiku Iinkai'') is the board of education in Tokyo, Japan. The board directly manages all of the public high schools in all 23 special wards, the Wester ...

. * (Kokusai means "International" in Japanese) * Komaba High School * Meguro High School *Geijutsu High School (Closed in 2012) In addition the metropolis operates a consolidated junior and senior high school in Meguro called

Ōshūkan Secondary School is a public day school established by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The campus is located in the Meguro district of Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capi ...

. Municipal elementary and junior high schools are operated by the Meguro City Board of Education. Municipal junior high schools: * Meguro 1st Junior High School ( 第一中学校) * Meguro 7th Junior High School ( 第七中学校) * Meguro 8th Junior High School ( 第八中学校) * Meguro 9th Junior High School ( 第九中学校) * Meguro 10th Junior High School ( 第十中学校) * Meguro 11th Junior High School ( 第十一中学校) * Higashiyama Junior High School ( 東山中学校) * Meguro Chuo Junior High School ( 目黒中央中学校) * Otori Junior High School ( 大鳥中学校) Municipal elementary schools: * Aburamen Elementary School ( 油面小学校) * Dendo Elementary School (田道小学校) * Fudo Elementary School ( 不動小学校) * Gekkohara Elementary School (月光原小学校) * Gohongi Elementary School (五本木小学校) * Haramachi Elementary School ( 原町小学校) * Higashine Elementary School ( 東根小学校) * Higashiyama Elementary School ( 東山小学校) * Ishibumi Elementary School ( 碑小学校) * Kamimeguro Elementary School ( 上目黒小学校) * Karasumori Elementary School (烏森小学校) * Komaba Elementary School ( 駒場小学校) * Midorigaoka Elementary School (緑ケ丘小学校) * Miyamae Elementary School ( 宮前小学校) * Mukaihara Elementary School (向原小学校) * Naka Meguro Elementary School ( 中目黒小学校) * Nakane Elementary School ( 中根小学校) * Ookayama Elementary School ( 大岡山小学校) * Shimomeguro Elementary School ( 下目黒小学校) * Sugekari Elementary School ( 菅刈小学校) * Takaban Elementary School ( 鷹番小学校) * Yakumo Elementary School ( 八雲小学校)

International schools

Aoba-Japan International School Aoba-Japan International School is an international school in Tokyo, with campuses in Nerima is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. The ward refers to itself as Nerima City. , the ward has an estimated population of 721,858, with 323,296 ho ...

Economy

Company headquarters

Amazon Japan Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential econ ...

head office *

Books Kinokuniya is a Japanese bookstore chain operated by , founded in 1927, with its first store located in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. Its name translates to "Bookstore of Kii Province". The company has its headquarters in Meguro, Tokyo. One of the company's ...

Don Quijote Don, don or DON and variants may refer to: Places *County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON *Don (river), a river in European Russia *Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name *Don, Benin, a town in Benin *Don, Dang, a vill ...

discount store chain head office * LDH (Headquarters for

EXILE Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...

& other Dance Units) *

Makino History Makino was established in 1937 by Tsunezo Makino in Japan, developing Japan's first numerically controlled (NC) milling machine in 1958 and Japan's first machining centre in 1966. The North American branch of Makino was formed thro ...

New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority sha ...

head office *

Ribera Steakhouse is a Japanese professional wrestling, boxing and mixed martial arts-themed steak house restaurant with two locations. The original location is in Gotanda, and there is a second, larger location in Shimomeguro. Professional wrestlers frequent ...

Stanley Electric Stanley Electric Co., Ltd. is a Japanese manufacturer of electric lights. Stanley has 36 consolidated subsidiaries, three associated companies, 23 factories in eight countries, offices in 17 countries, and over 16,000 employees. The main custo ...

* TopTour Corporation * Unilever Japan, head office * Walt Disney Japan, head office

Notable people from Meguro

Yumiko Fujita Yumiko Fujita (藤田弓子; born 12 September 1945 in Meguro, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese actress. Selected filmography Film * '' If You Were Young: Rage'' (1970) * ''Under the Flag of the Rising Sun'' (1972) * ''Karafuto 1945 Summer Hyosetsu ...

, actress *

Waka Inoue is a Japanese idol, tarento and actress. She was born in Meguro, Tokyo as Naoko Niimura (新村直子). Her mother is former actress Kyoko Saga. Inoue's main claim to fame in the tarento circles is her bustline. She made her debut as a gravur ...

, model, actress * Risa Tsubaki, voice actress *

Toru Iwatani is a Japanese video game designer who spent much of his career working for Namco. He is best known as the creator of the arcade game ''Pac-Man'' (1980). Early life Iwatani was born in the Meguro ward of Tokyo, Japan on January 25, 1955. While ...

, arcade game designer, most notable for

Pac-Man originally called ''Puck Man'' in Japan, is a 1980 maze action video game developed and released by Namco for arcades. In North America, the game was released by Midway Manufacturing as part of its licensing agreement with Namco America. Th ...

and

Pole Position In a motorsports race, the pole position is usually the best and "statistically the most advantageous" starting position on the track. The pole position is usually earned by the driver with the best qualifying times in the trials before the rac ...

Shigeru Izumiya Shigeru Izumiya (泉谷しげる ''Izumiya Shigeru'', born May 11, 1948 in Aomori, raised in Meguro, Tokyo) is a Japanese poet, folk singer, actor, tarento. He established the record company For Life Records with Takuro Yoshida, Yosui Inoue, ...

, folk singer, entertainer (born in

Aomori, Aomori is the capital city of Aomori Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 278,964 in 136,457 households, and a population density of 340 people per square kilometer spread over the city's total are ...

, but raised in Meguro) * Masako, Empress of Japan (born in

Toranomon is a business district of Minato, Tokyo. History Literally meaning "Tiger's Gate," Toranomon was the name of the southernmost gate of Edo Castle. The gate existed until the 1870s when it was demolished to make way for modern developments. T ...

, but raised in Meguro) *

Yukio Sakaguchi is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, actor and judoka, who is currently signed with DDT Pro-Wrestling and has fought and competed for World Victory Road, DREAM, Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling, Pancrase, Pro Wrestli ...

, mixed martial arts fighter and professional wrestler *

Kazuo Tokumitsu is a Japanese TV presenter and announcer. He is the main presenter on the Nippon Television Sunday morning TV topical news programme ''The Sunday Next''. He is also the main presenter on the Tokyo Broadcasting System programme .Takuya Kimura, singer and actor in male idol group

SMAP SMAP was a Japanese boy band, composed of Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Shingo Katori. The group was created in 1988 by music producer Johnny Kitagawa, founder of Johnny & Associates, originally as a six- ...

Shizuka Kudo , known by her maiden name , is a Japanese singer, actress and former idol, born in Hamura, Tokyo, Japan. She was a member of Onyanko Club between May 1986 and September 1987 and went on to have a successful solo career with 11 number-one hits ...

, popular singer and wife of Takuya Kimura (Originally from

Hamura, Tokyo is a city located in the western portion of Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 54,622, and a population density of 5500 persons per km². The total area of the city was . Geography Hamura is approximately in the ...

) *

Keisuke Kuwata is a Japanese multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and frontman for the Southern All Stars, as well of his own solo band, the Kuwata band. He has also done a significant amount of scoring music for films. He went to Aoyama Gakuin University ...

, singer with

Southern All Stars , also known by the abbreviations and SAS, are a Japanese rock band that first formed in 1974. The band is composed of Keisuke Kuwata (lead vocals and guitars), Yuko Hara (vocals and keyboards), Kazuyuki Sekiguchi (bass), Hiroshi Matsuda (dr ...

(Originally from Chigasaki, Kanagawa) *

Nobuyo Ōyama , born , is a former Japanese actress, voice actress and singer affiliated with Actors Seven. She is best known for playing the title character in the long-running ''Doraemon'' anime series. She is also well known as the voice of Monokuma, the ...

, voices the anime character

Doraemon ''Doraemon'' ( ja, ドラえもん ) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fujiko F. Fujio. The manga was first serialized in December 1969, with its 1,345 individual chapters compiled into 45 ''tankōbon'' volumes and ...

(Originally from

Shibuya, Tokyo Shibuya (渋谷区 ''Shibuya-ku'') is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. As a major commercial and finance center, it houses two of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shinjuku Station (southern half) and Shibuya Station. As of April 1, ...

) * Miyu Uehara, gravure idol, found dead in her Meguro apartment (Originally from Tanegashima, Kagoshima) *Halca & Yucali of the hip-hop duo Halcali *

Shori Sato is a Japanese idol, actor, and member of the idol group Sexy Zone, under the Johnny & Associates from 30 October 2010. Biography He was born on 30 October 1996. The youngest of four siblings, he has two brothers and a sister. His given name, S ...

, singer and actor in male idol group

Sexy Zone Sexy Zone is a five-member Japanese boy band managed by Johnny & Associates, consisting of Shori Sato, Kento Nakajima, Marius Yo, Fuma Kikuchi and Sou Matsushima. When they debuted their group age average was 14.6. In 2013 they appeared in Kouha ...

* Suehiro Maruo, Manga artist, one of the best-known exponents of

Ero Guro is an artistic genre that puts its focus on eroticism, sexual corruption, and decadence.Silverberg, Miriam Rom. "By Way of a Preface: Defining ''Erotic Grotesque Nonsense''". Galley copy of the preface for ''Erotic Grotesque Nonsense: The Mass ...

(Originally from

Nagasaki, Nagasaki is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It became the sole port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hidden Christian Sites in the ...

)

References

External links

Meguro City Official Website
{{Portalbar, Tokyo Wards of Tokyo