Jiyūgaoka, Meguro, Tokyo

Jiyūgaoka (自由が丘, Jiyūgaoka) is a neighborhood in southern Meguro, Tokyo, Japan, consisting of districts 1-chome to 3-chome, with a population of 7,231 as of January 2013, and postal code 152-0035. The name also refers to the broader area surrounding Jiyūgaoka Station, which includes both Jiyūgaoka and the Okusawa (奥沢) neighborhood of Setagaya.

Jiyūgaoka Station is located at the junction of the Tōyoko Line and Ōimachi Line. There are many numbers of apparel stores, zakka stores and restaurants. Jiyūgaoka is often considered as one of the most desirable places to live in Tokyo. The area has its own newspaper dating back to 1919.

History

The area was rural until the late 1920s, when rail service commenced. On 28 August 1927, Kuhonbutsu-mae Station (九品仏前駅, Kuhonbutsu-mae eki) was established on the Tōyoko Line. In the same year, Jiyūgaoka-gakuen High School was opened. The school name, 自由ヶ丘学園高等学校, literally "Liberal Hill Academy", due to its liberal education (part of the Taishō period liberal education movement; see 大正自由教育運動), later gave rise to the name of the nearby station and thence the entire area, similarly to the neighboring stations of Toritsu-Daigaku Station and Gakugei-daigaku Station (named for universities formerly located in the area).