Hiroo, Shibuya

Hiroo Station Entrance

Hiroo (広尾) is a district of Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Abutting on opulent Ebisu, Minami-Azabu, Nishi-Azabu and Minami-Aoyama, Hiroo is one of the most prominent upmarket residential and shopping neighborhoods in Tokyo. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, as of 2008, the residential land prices on Hiroo 2-chōme and 3-chōme are as high as ¥1,460,000/m2 and ¥1,250,000/m2, respectively.[1] As of the end of July 2008, the population of this district is 12,571.[2]

Hiroo is home to several embassies: Embassy of Croatia, Embassy of Czech Republic, and Embassy of Burkina Faso.

Located on Minami-Azabu,[3] the Hiroo Station of Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line is the nearest subway station from Hiroo.

Education

There are two universities in Hiroo. The prestigious University of the Sacred Heart, its predecessor Sacred Heart Koto Senmon School established in 1916 and reorganized into a university with the current name in 1948,[4] is one of the oldest women's universities in Japan. Its important alumnae include the former UN High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata and Empress of Japan Michiko. The Japanese Red Cross College of Nursing owns one of its two campuses in Hiroo. Although reorganized into a four-year college recently in 1986, the origin of the nursing school dates back to 1890, when nursing education was launched at the Japanese Red Cross Hospital. Hiroo is also home to the International School of the Sacred Heart which was founded in 1908 and is located on the same grounds as the University of the Sacred Heart (Seishin Joshi Daigaku). It offers education in English for girls from the ages of three to eighteen. The university offers education to women in Japanese. There are several Japanese schools in the area as well, including Hiroo Senior High School (Hiroo Kōtōgakkō) and Hiroo Elementary School (Hiroo Shōgakkō). The Rainbow International Montessori School also has a facility located in the same area.

Demography

Population of Hiroo District (July 2008)[2]
District Number of
Households 		Total
Population 		Male Female
Hiroo 1-chōme 1,666 2,566 1,184 1,382
Hiroo 2-chōme 821 1,713 789 924
Hiroo 3-chōme 1,127 2,195 993 1,202
Hiroo 4-chōme 1,530 2,740 1,063 1,677
Hiroo 5-chōme 2,008 3,357 1,390 1,967

Attractions

Arisugawa Park
The Gate of Embassy of Croatia in Japan

Adjacent to Hiroo, the district of Minami-Azabu is home to Arisugawa Park, which spans through a large chunk of the town. The park consists of several paths and walkways, a baseball field, soccer field, children's amusement areas and a man-made waterfall that empties into a pond full of koi and ducks. The park is situated in the close vicinity of Hiro-o Station, causing it to be often incorrectly regarded as "a park in Hiroo."

References

  1. ↑ 国土交通省地価公示 検索結果（東京都渋谷区広尾 住宅地） - Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Japan). Retrieved on 2008-08-17.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 月別町丁目別世帯数及び男女別人口（平成20年1月末～7月末） - Official Website of Shibuya, Tokyo. Retrieved on 2008-08-17.
  3. ↑ 広尾駅 - Tokyo Metro. Retrieved on 2008-08-18.
  4. ↑ General Information - University of the Sacred Heart. Retrieved on 2008-08-17.