Sun, Moon, & Transparent Soul
At 420 metres above sea level near Hiroshima Airport, where the Seto Inland Sea's warm currents meet cool mountain air, No. 505 Hiroshima Winery crafts "living wines" from organic and naturally farmed fruit. Carbonic maceration, native yeasts, minimal sulfur — wine that breathes with the rhythm of sun and moon, made by human hands guided by nature's wisdom.
From Soto Office to Hiroshima Base
No. 505 Hiroshima Winery was established by Soto Office, a creative collective and project management company based in Tokyo. The "505" designation carries the imprint of their Tokyo headquarters — a reference to their office number and a philosophy of working at the intersection of human creativity and natural systems [^38^].
The winery officially opened on 5 May 2024 with a public launch event at their Hiroshima Base in Mihara City, though wines from the 2023 vintage were already circulating among natural wine circles prior to opening [^38^][^40^]. The project represents a deliberate expansion from creative consultancy into physical, agricultural production — a logical extension of Soto Office's ethos of "natural and human wisdom intertwined" [^38^].
The winery operates two adjacent locations in the Ōsō district of Mihara's Yamato Town: the winery itself at 75-28 Ōsō, and the Hiroshima Base hospitality and retail space at 74-19 Ōsō — a dual-purpose facility that functions as both production site and public face [^38^].
"The taste is pure and easy to drink, and I feel like I no longer have hangovers. I, who have always been bad with alcohol, can drink this deliciously — it is the only alcohol (natural wine) for me."
— 20s Female, Japan
Three Rivers, Rock & Diurnal Shift
The estate sits at 420 metres elevation near Hiroshima Airport, surrounded by massive rock formations that create excellent drainage and a distinctive microclimate. The Seto Inland Sea's maritime influence brings warm, sunny days, while the altitude ensures cool, clear nights — a significant diurnal temperature shift that concentrates sugars and preserves acidity in the fruit [^38^].
The winery sources grapes from multiple sites across Hiroshima Prefecture, including fruit grown at a support facility for people with disabilities in Mihara City — a socially integrated approach to viticulture that reflects the collective's community-oriented values [^47^]. All fruit is cultivated using organic or natural farming methods: no herbicides, no synthetic fertilisers, no growth hormones, no forced fruit enlargement [^38^].
Yamato Town, Mihara City, Hiroshima Prefecture. 420m altitude. Seto Inland Sea climate — warm maritime days, cool mountain nights. Massive rock formations, excellent drainage. Low rainfall, high diurnal shift. Ideal for stone fruit and grape cultivation.
Japanese hybrid varieties including Black Beet, Fujiminori, and Pione. Sourced from organic and natural farms across Hiroshima Prefecture, including community support facility vineyards. Each grape carries the individuality of its site and season.
Living Wine, Not Cyborg Fruit
No. 505's philosophy centres on ikiru wine — "living wine." This means: fruit from organic or natural farming; no preservatives or only minimal sulfur; fermentation by native yeasts present on the grape skins; and a wine that remains alive in the bottle, continuing to evolve [^38^]. The winery rejects what it calls "cyborg" viticulture — the chemical interventions that standardise fruit into identical, artificial products year after year.
In the cellar, carbonic maceration in flexible tanks is a favoured technique, creating bright, juicy, low-tannin reds with a translucent quality [^44^]. Fermentation is spontaneous. Filtration is minimal or absent. The resulting wines are described as having a "transparent taste that permeates the body" — light, pure, and effortlessly drinkable [^40^][^41^].
The Rhythm of Sun and Moon
During warm days, the fruit breathes and accumulates nutrients. When the moon rises and temperatures drop, respiration slows and the fruit rests. On cold nights, the fruit stockpiles sugar as self-defence against freezing. This natural rhythm — sun, moon, sugar, rest — is the foundation of No. 505's viticultural calendar. They do not fight it with technology; they follow it [^38^].
Disability Support, & Social Wine
Beyond environmental naturalism, No. 505 integrates social responsibility into its supply chain. The "Blue Kei Truck" cuvée is produced from grapes carefully grown at a support facility for people with disabilities in Mihara City — a light, translucent red that carries both the character of its terroir and the dignity of its growers [^47^].
This approach reflects a broader Japanese natural wine movement that connects agricultural rehabilitation, community integration, and artisanal production. The winery's proximity to Hiroshima — a city synonymous with resilience and reconstruction — adds a layer of symbolic weight to this commitment to healing through natural processes [^38^].
"Is it really necessary? Medicines to make things look beautiful, medicines to eliminate seeds, medicines to enlarge fruit, equipment and facilities to cultivate out of season. What is true fruit?"
— No. 505 Hiroshima Winery
The No. 505 Universe
All wines are made from organic or naturally farmed fruit, fermented with indigenous yeasts, and bottled with minimal or no sulfur. The range is characterised by playful, emotionally resonant names — familial, whimsical, and deeply personal — that reflect the collective's creative background. Carbonic maceration dominates the red winemaking, producing light, juicy, highly drinkable wines with transparent colour and gentle tannin [^40^][^41^][^44^].