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 includes both Jiyūgaoka, part of Midorigaoka and nearby in Setagaya. Jiyūgaoka Station is located at the junction of the Tōyoko Line and Ōimachi Line. There are numerous apparel stores, zakka stores, cafes and restaurants. Jiyūgaoka is often considered one of the most desirable places to live in Tokyo. The middle class demographic is also reflected in the concentration of private schools in the neighbourhood and the large number of after school juku. Jiyūgaoka has had its own newspaper since 1919. History Jiyūgaoka was largely rural until the late 1920s, when rail service commenced. On 28 August 1927, 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