What Midori-so does

MIDORI.so is a Tokyo-based co-working community platform operated by MIRAI INSTITUTE Co., Ltd. (MIRAI INSTITUTE株式会社), founded on January 5, 2011 by Teruo Kurosaki as a think tank for alternative work styles and formally launched as a co-working brand in 2012 in response to post-2011 Great East Japan Earthquake cultural shifts. The company operates eight directly managed locations across Tokyo (Nakameguro, Nagatacho, Bakuroyokoyama, Shibuya, Aoyama, Ikejiri, Kichijoji, and Nihonbashi), each deliberately curated with a distinct cultural identity anchored in the surrounding neighborhood — for example, a renovated Showa-era building at Bakuroyokoyama, a vacuum-tube listening lounge at Aoyama, and a former-school redevelopment at HOME/WORK VILLAGE/Ikejiri. Its primary customer base is individual freelancers, independent professionals, small creative teams, and small businesses, with a secondary enterprise segment comprising major Japanese corporates (Mitsubishi Electric, Mitsubishi Estate, Nomura Real Estate, PARCO, NIKKEN SEKKEI, Yamaha Motor) for which MIDORI.so operates co-working spaces and designs community programs under outsourcing contracts.

The platform offers tiered workspace memberships — free desk (hot-desk), fixed desk, private booth, and pop-in (pay-as-you-go) — at monthly subscriptions ranging from approximately ¥33,000 to ¥71,500 depending on location and amenity access, with most locations offering 24/7 access. Adjacent offerings include gallery rental, event and meeting-room hire, the Engagement Space at Nagatacho (212 sqm, up to 100 people), hybrid living/working accommodation at Nihonbashi Stay, and sub-brands such as CryptoBase (Web3 community programming at Shibuya), SIGHT SITE STUDIO (an upcycle maker space at Bakuroyokoyama), FOOD & Cultural Design, and Sound Environment Design in collaboration with Komatsu Acoustic Laboratory. A MIDORI.so Collective of in-community professionals provides cross-disciplinary client services in spatial design, branding, editorial publishing, food programming, and community design.

Revenue is generated through five streams: recurring co-working membership subscriptions across the directly managed network, transactional space rental (events, exhibitions, commercial photography), gallery rental and artist programs, outsourced operations management fees paid by corporate clients to run their own branded co-working spaces (SkiiMa for PARCO, Tomore for Nomura Real Estate, Ø club / Inspired Lab for Mitsubishi Estate, Serendie Street Yokohama for Mitsubishi Electric, PYNT for NIKKEN SEKKEI, Regenerative Lab for Yamaha Motor), and professional services for workspace design consultation, community design, and operational support. The company is privately held with no disclosed external funding, ownership appears concentrated among the founding team, and following founder Teruo Kurosaki's passing in March 2026 day-to-day leadership rests with President Miho Koshiba and Director Akira Kinoshita.

Name

Midori-so

Legal name

MIRAI INSTITUTE Co., Ltd. (MIRAI INSTITUTE株式会社)

Website

https://midori.so

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Short description

MIDORI.so is a Tokyo-based co-working community operated by MIRAI INSTITUTE Co., Ltd., serving freelancers, small businesses, and creative professionals across eight managed locations in Tokyo. It also runs outsourced co-working operations and community design consulting for enterprise clients including Mitsubishi Electric, Mitsubishi Estate, Nomura Real Estate, and PARCO.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Co-working Membership Fees: Monthly subscription fees for hot-desk, fixed desk, and private booth access across 8 locations in Tokyo. Membership plans include various tiers with different amenity access levels.
2. Space Rental: Rental revenue from Engagement Spaces, galleries, lounges, and meeting rooms for events, exhibitions, workshops, and corporate functions. Also includes commercial photography and filming rentals.
3. Gallery Services: Revenue from hosting art exhibitions and events at gallery spaces in Nakameguro, Bakuroyokoyama, and Ikejiri locations. Includes artist residency programs.
4. Outsourced Operations Management: Management fees from operating co-working spaces on behalf of corporate clients including Mitsubishi Electric (Serendie), Nomura Real Estate (Tomore), PARCO (SkiiMa), and others.
5. Business & Community Consulting: Consulting services for companies and foundations including workspace design consultation, community design, event planning, and operational support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MIDORI.so provides flexible co-working memberships (free desk, fixed desk, private booth, pop-in) across eight directly managed Tokyo locations, supported by on-site Community Organizers who program events, exhibitions, and resident activities. Beyond core desks, it operates gallery rentals, an experimental maker studio, a hybrid work-and-stay accommodation at Nihonbashi, and large event spaces such as the Nagatacho Engagement Space. The company further designs, programs, and operates co-working facilities on behalf of corporate clients (Mitsubishi Electric, Mitsubishi Estate, Nomura Real Estate, PARCO, NIKKEN SEKKEI, Yamaha Motor).

Product overview

MIDORI.so is a co-working community platform operated by MIRAI-INSTITUTE that provides flexible workspace solutions across eight Tokyo locations. The core offering consists of share offices with various desk plans (free desk, fixed desk, private booth, pop-in), supplemented by dedicated galleries for art exhibitions, the MIDORI.so Studio maker space for sustainable design work, and CryptoBase for Web3 community activities. The platform extends through the MIDORI.so Collective services team offering professional expertise in spatial design, branding, editorial publishing, community design, and food/cultural programming. Space rental options include the Engagement Space for large events at Nagatacho and hybrid living-working accommodations at Nihonbashi. All locations are organically connected to foster community interaction and collaborative value creation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CryptoBase: Web3 and blockchain-focused community operating within MIDORI.so Shibuya, organizing regular study sessions on DAOs and NFTs
• SIGHT SITE STUDIO
• Food & Cultural Design
• Sound Environment Design

Products and services

• MIDORI.so Share Offices Co-working spaces across eight Tokyo locations (Nakameguro, Nagatacho, Bakuroyokoyama, Shibuya, Aoyama, Ikejiri, Kichijoji, Nihonbashi) offering flexible desk plans (Free Desk, Fixed Desk, Private Booth, Pop-in), meeting rooms, and community amenities for freelancers, small businesses, and employees of larger organizations.
• MIDORI.so Collective Professional services team that brings together MIDORI.so members for cross-disciplinary projects in spatial design, branding, editorial publishing, community design, and business consulting for corporate and community clients.
• MIDORI.so Galleries Art exhibition spaces at the Nakameguro, Bakuroyokoyama, and Ikejiri locations, available for art exhibitions, artist rentals, and commercial photography and filming use.
• MIDORI.so Studio (SIGHT SITE STUDIO) Experimental upcycle maker space at MIDORI.so Bakuroyokoyama following the 'Re-search, Re-spect, Re-construct' concept, equipped with cutting machines, a RISOGRAPH printer, and silk-screening machines for sustainable design and production work.
• CryptoBase Web3 and blockchain-focused community program operating within MIDORI.so Shibuya, organizing regular study sessions on DAOs, NFTs, and related topics with Japanese DAO partners.
• Engagement Space (Nagatacho) 212 sqm event space at MIDORI.so Nagatacho dedicated to community bonding, team meetings, meetups, and organizational activation programs, accommodating up to 100 people.
• MIDORI.so Nihonbashi Stay Hybrid living-working accommodation combining a lounge, dormitory-style rooms, and a cafe/bar at MIDORI.so Nihonbashi, offering pop-in day and night plans and overnight stays with check-in and checkout integrated with workspace use.
• Space Rental On-demand rental of MIDORI.so locations for events, seminars, commercial photography, gallery exhibitions, and workshops across the network.
• Food & Cultural Design Service program that integrates spatial design with culinary experiences, workshops, and regionally-connected food tourism for community and corporate clients, treating food as culture rather than consumption.
• Sound Environment Design Audio design service developed in collaboration with Komatsu Acoustic Laboratory, covering vacuum tube amplifiers, custom speakers, ambient music production, and integrated soundscapes for the Aoyama location and partner projects.
• MIDORI.so Ikejiri Co-working location within HOME/WORK VILLAGE, a former school facility transformed into community space, with EAST (gallery and private rooms), CENTRAL (workspace and meeting rooms), and WEST (workspace, kitchen, and lounge) zones.
• MIDORI.so Kichijoji Co-working location at Kichijoji PARCO 8F, MIDORI.so's first location outside Tokyo's 23 wards, with meeting rooms, kitchen, and lounges accessible from the PARCO shopping mall.

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mitsubishi Electric (Serendie)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOperates and designs community programming for Mitsubishi Electric's co-creation hub 'Serendie Street Yokohama.' Provided community item creation, networking event planning, and on-site community organizer support.
• PARCO (SkiiMa)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOutsourced operation of PARCO's co-working space brand 'SkiiMa' at Shinsaibashi and Kichijoji locations. Design and operational management of community spaces.
• Mitsubishi EstatecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOutsourced operation of Mitsubishi Estate's co-working spaces including Ø club and Inspired Lab. Provides operational management and community design services.
• Nomura Real Estate (Tomore)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOutsourced operation of Nomura Real Estate's Tomore and Tomore zero co-working spaces. Operational management and community building services.
• NIKKEN SEKKEI (PYNT)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArt curation and prop styling for PYNT co-creation hub. Manages community design and spatial presentation for Nikken Sekkei's Social Environment Design initiative.
• Yamaha MotorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed community design for Yamaha Motor's 'Regenerative Lab' co-creation hub. End-to-end support from concept development, participant design, program creation, to operational system design.
• Sharing Economy AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-planned and produced Nordic Co-Creation Tour study program focusing on co-creation, sustainability, and community practices in Denmark and Finland.
• Village HinoharaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOutsourced operational support for Village Hinohara, a rural co-living and community space.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• H1T: Japanese flexible workspace operator that took over WeWork Japan's locations and continues to operate co-working spaces across Japan. Directly comparable to MIDORI.so in serving freelancers, SMBs, and enterprise-managed co-working in Japan.
• Crosscoop (クロスcoop): Japan-focused co-working operator with shared offices in Tokyo and other cities, including airport-located spaces. Comparable in serving individual professionals and SMBs with flexible memberships.
• いいオフィス (ii Office): Japan-based co-working network with multiple locations across the country, targeting freelancers and remote workers with a flat-rate cross-location membership model. Closely comparable to MIDORI.so in customer profile and distributed location strategy.
• SPACEE (スペイシー): Japanese marketplace and operator of rental meeting rooms, event spaces, and share offices. Comparable in the on-demand space rental segment that MIDORI.so also monetizes through galleries, meeting rooms, and event venues.
• Cloud Reception (クラウドレセプション): Japan-based shared office and co-working operator. Comparable in the SMB and freelancer segment with monthly memberships across multiple Tokyo locations.

Regional players

• JUSTCO: Asia-Pacific co-working operator with presence in Japan and other regional markets. Comparable enterprise and SMB offering, though larger scale and broader geographic footprint than MIDORI.so.
• The Executive Centre: Premium flexible workspace provider across Asia-Pacific. Comparable in serving enterprise and professional segments with serviced offices, though not focused on the Japan market specifically.
• ADDress: Japan-based monthly co-living/multiple-residence service for digital nomads and remote workers. Comparable to MIDORI.so Nihonbashi's hybrid work-stay concept in addressing flexible extended-stay demand in Japan.

Broad incumbents

• WeWork: Global co-working leader with brand recognition and scale. Overlaps with MIDORI.so on the core product (flexible co-working memberships, enterprise solutions) but operates far more broadly across geographies and industries.
• IWG (Regus / Spaces / HQ): World's largest flexible workspace operator under brands including Regus, Spaces, and HQ. Directly competes for enterprise outsourcing contracts and SMB/freelancer memberships; broader portfolio but comparable core offering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/midoris0
• Facebookfacebook.com/midori.so.tokyo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Midori-so