Midori-chan is a patented and revolutionary patented system designed to maximise vegetation growth and recycle waste, while dramatically minimising water usage. Our engineers at the Kawada Group in Japan developed the system to meet the demands of greener and cleaner communities. Our development of Midori-chan is consistent with our corporate mission of "building a better tomorrow". Kawada’s technological innovations have ranged from transportation, energy, information systems, and mechatronics. Now, our future depends on technologies such as Midori-chan, technologies that reduce CO2 and increase vegetation without draining already limited world water resources.
As part of our commitment to corporate social responsibility, Midori-chan was conceived in the late 1990s. Our goal was to recycle building materials and to ease the heat island effect. Our concept is to increase vegetation without wasting a drop of water
Midori means "green" in the Japanese language. The word "chan" after "midori" is a nickname given to children in Japanese. Midori-chan is based upon a system in which rainwater is effectively recycled, stored, and supplied to vegetation. The system mimics and improves upon the system of water supply and evaporation that occurs naturally in the earth’s surface. Special water retention materials grip water vapour. Soil moisture transfer is generated by thermal energy balance in the soil and facilitated by water storage units. Regenerated charcoal cleanses the water through natural water vapour absorbed through the plant roots.

Midori-chan is a concept utilising the principles of 3R + 1. Reduce, Recycle, Reuse + Respect.
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When designing rooftop greening solutions, as the leading fabricator and erector of major structures in Japan, Kawada realises the importance of understanding the prevailing building’s strength, waterproofing / drainage constraints, and the applicable load that a rooftop can bear. Moreover, this experience within Japan’s highly seismic environment has led Kawada to ensure that our greening solutions possess the lowest possible load to combat the effects of earthquakes whilst also minimising the volume of steelwork / concrete required for the structure. It has been proven that our recycled reinforced water storage units can bear vehicle loads.
By employing Kawada’s services, structural inspections, building soundness appraisals, and structural strengthening works can be secured. Furthermore, operation and maintenance costs are minimised as under normal atmospheric conditions, watering is unnecessary – some of our solutions have not been water for over 3 years. Sustainability is achieved via our completely environmentally friendly system.



| Grass | Flowers | Shrubs (small) | Shrubs (large) | Mid-sized trees | ||
| 100 ∼ 500mm | 600mm or less | 900 ∼ 1,200mm | 1,500 ∼ 2,500mm | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetation installation examples |
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| Plant | Complete coverage | 250mm intervals | 400mm intervals | 600mm intervals | 1,000mm intervals | |
| Soil thickness | 50mm | 100mm | 150mm | 200mm | 250mm | |
| Regenerated charcoal bags | 30mm | 30mm | 30mm | 30mm | 30mm | |
| Water storage unit | 70mm | 70mm | 70mm | 70mm | 70mm | |
| Total thickness | 150mm | 200mm | 250mm | 300mm | 350mm | |
| Reference weights (water included) |
Without plants | 82 kg/m² | 122 kg/m² | 162 kg/m² | 202 kg/m² | 242 kg/m² |
| With plants | 100 kg/m² | 160 kg/m² | 200 kg/m² | 238 kg/m² | 277 kg/m² | |