Azuma Farm Koiwai is a new boutique nature retreat developed through a collaboration between Azumi Japan and East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The property is the first destination under the newly-launched Azuma Farm Brand and is part of a project by renowned hotelier Adrian Zecha, founder of Aman Resorts.
Koiwai Farm, which was founded 130 years ago on once-barren volcanic land, the new property will focus on “farm life”, a way of living in harmony with the land, seasons and local community. At Azuma Farm Koiwai, this philosophy shapes the retreat’s design, culinary approach, guest programming, and deep integration with the surrounding environment.
Conceived as an intimate countryside escape set within a secluded eight-hectare section of the grounds of Koiwai Farm in Iwate Prefecture, one of Japan’s most historic farmstead landscapes, the property features just 24 rooms that reflects the locale.
Experiences here focus on curated experiences offering a glimpse of seasonal farm life and regional culture, including horseback riding, forest walks, Nanbu Tekki ironware crafts, and dining sourced from the surrounding mountains, farms and Sanriku coast.
Guests can reach the hotel after a two-hour and 20-minute Shinkansen ride from Tokyo to Morioka Station, after which there is a 25-minute private transfer.
A boutique property of just 24 guest rooms, Azuma Farm Koiwai was designed to work in harmony with the natural landscape. Its two-room Villa Room types serve as a window onto a spectacular natural setting. Crafted using select natural materials grown in Koiwai, including red pine and cypress, the architecture stands in quiet harmony with the natural landscape.
Aside from guest rooms, the resort is also home to three 89 square metre sauna pavilions, each containing a wood-fired sauna, a cold bath, plus several daybeds.
The on-site restaurant focuses on farm-to-table dining, with dairy, vegetables and fruits from the farm, plus seafood caught off the coast of Sanriku, part of the Tōhoku region where the hotel is located. Beyond the villas is a fire-centred gathering space where evenings are warmed by glowing embers. An onsen or Japanese bath facility is due to open this November.
Immersive experiences offer guests many cultural and outdoor activities. Horseback rides through the Ainosawa pastures connect guests to a horse-breeding tradition several centuries old.
A Nanbu ironware tour takes visitors to the workshop of Koizumi Nizaemon, an 11th-generation master kettle-smith operating since 1659, where guests commission their own iron kettle – the ultimate turn-down gift that takes two to three months to complete.
Seasonal hiking programmes thread through the volcanic plateau of Hachimantai. Excursions into Joboji Urushi lacquerware, the Tono wasabi fields, and the sake traditions of Ninohe extend the radius further, positioning the property as a base for serious regional exploration.
Azuma Farm Koiwai thus can serve as a gateway to the broader Tohoku region, introducing travellers to regional artisans, culinary traditions, landscapes, and multi-destination journeys curated around the diversity of northeastern Japan.
