Meiji University (明治大学, Meiji Daigaku), abbreviated as Meiji (明治) or Meidai (明大), is a private research university located in Chiyoda City, the heart of Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1881 as Meiji Law School (明治法律学校, Meiji Hōritsu Gakkō) by three Meiji-era lawyers, Kishimoto Tatsuo, Miyagi Kōzō, and Yashiro Misao, Meiji University is one of the oldest and most prestigious institutions of higher learning in Japan.