Five Things to Know About Watching Baseball in Japan
- Author
- Travelogues
Cheerleaders, history, balloons — watching baseball in Japan is a whole new way to see the game.
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Azuma Farm Koiwai
AZUMA FARM Koiwai is a countryside retreat located within the historic Koiwai Farm in the Iwate Prefecture. It is set at the foot of Mount Iwate amid forests, pastureland, and agricultural landscapes shaped by more than 130 years of stewardship. The property offers 24 standalone villas, including Forest Villas and Garden Villas, designed with locally sourced timber and minimalist interiors that reflect the surrounding rural environment and Japanese craftsmanship. Dining is centered on a restaurant and lounge showcasing seasonal ingredients from Iwate and the wider Tohoku region, with an emphasis on farm-to-table cuisine and regional food traditions. Facilities include private saunas, communal lounge spaces, guided cultural and agricultural experiences, horseback riding, and excursions exploring the surrounding mountains, forests, and craft traditions. AZUMA FARM Koiwai is reached by road from Iwate Hanamaki Airport (HNA) in an approximately 60 minutes drive, or around 25 minutes from Morioka Station, depending on traffic and weather conditions.
Why We Love This Hotel
- Heritage: Situated at the southern foot of Mt. Iwate, Azuma Farm Koiwai is immersed in over 130 years of agricultural legacy within the historic Koiwai region. The farm honors Iwate’s centuries-old connection between land and livestock, where the "Nambu" horse and ironware traditions first flourished. The region’s cultural depth is further anchored by the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Hiraizumi, located a scenic drive to the south, which preserve the architectural refinement of the 12th-century Pure Land Buddhist era.
- Nature: The estate serves as a gateway to the volcanic highlands of Towada-Hachimantai National Park. Guests can explore a landscape of expansive pastures and ancient forests through private cycling excursions or hikes across the Yakehashiri Lava Flow. During the late spring thaw, a guided trek leads to the "Dragon Eye" of Mt. Hachimantai—a rare natural phenomenon where melting snow creates a concentric turquoise circle in a volcanic crater lake.
- Craft & Culture: Guests can experience the living traditions of the Tohoku region, offering private encounters with Nambu Tekki (ironware) masters whose lineage in Iwate spans generations. Guests may participate in the harvest of mountain wasabi from crystal-clear springs or engage in "soil-to-table" dining that utilizes the farm’s own heritage-breed livestock and seasonal produce. This immersion into the rural rhythms of northern Japan offers a refined perspective on the region's resilient artisanal culture.
- Destination
- Iwate, Japan
Amenities
- Garden
- Multilingual Staff
- Restaurant
- Safety Deposit Boxes
- Sauna
- Shuttle Service
- Wi-Fi In Public Areas
Nestled within an eight-hectare woodland grove, Azuma Farm Koiwai features 24 secluded villas designed to exist in quiet harmony with the surrounding forest. The structures are thoughtfully crafted utilizing natural materials harvested directly from the estate, including red pine, chestnut, and Japanese cedar. The architectural aesthetic is intentionally understated, with expansive floor-to-ceiling windows designed to frame the seasonal forest landscape as the primary interior element. Both villa categories emphasize privacy and spatial generosity, featuring private verandas that encourage immersion in the rural Tohoku environment. Modern amenities are seamlessly integrated, including high speed Wi-Fi access, a curated minibar, and loungewear.
Forest Villa
Nestled deep within the estate's woodland grove, these 65-square-metre villas open onto sweeping forest vistas framed by floor-to-ceiling windows. The bedroom centres on twin beds beneath warm timber ceilings, with a chestnut pillar — grown and harvested at Koiwai — standing as the room's defining feature. A dedicated lounge area with seating and a daybed available on request completes the space.
Garden Villa
Set in the most secluded corner of the estate, these 87-square-metre villas open north onto a generous wooden veranda, where forest air and natural light pour freely into the space. Twin beds sit beneath soaring timber ceilings, while a generous daybed lounge area serves as the room's centrepiece — an invitation to slow down and surrender to the stillness of the surrounding grove.
Azuma Farm Koiwai's facilities are anchored in stillness and a deep connection to the land. A dedicated sauna offers a restorative retreat after days spent exploring the mountains and forests, while communal lounge spaces invite guests to unwind at their own pace. The surrounding farm and wilderness provide a natural backdrop— ever-changing with the seasons, and always close at hand.
Sauna
Tucked within the forest grounds, Azuma Farm Koiwai's three private sauna pavilions — known as Forest Springs — offer an 89-square-metre sanctuary of wood-fired heat, cold baths, and open fireplaces. Drawing on the restorative traditions of Japanese bathing culture, each pavilion pairs elemental simplicity with deep comfort, offering a genuinely unhurried retreat into the natural rhythms of Koiwai.
At Azuma Farm Koiwai, eating is an extension of the farm life experience itself. Their single dining venue offers both breakfast and dinner. Each meal is a reflection of the season, shaped by what the land, mountains, and coastline of Iwate have to offer, and served in a setting where the kitchen and the landscape feel inseparable.
Main Restaurant
Centered on a farm-to-table philosophy rooted in over 130 years of agricultural tradition, the restaurant at Azuma Farm Koiwai draws its inspiration — and its ingredients — directly from the land. Produce is sourced from Koiwai Farm's fertile soils and complemented by fresh seafood from the Sanriku coast and seasonal mountain bounty from across the Tohoku region. The result is a menu that shifts with the seasons and celebrates the full culinary richness of Iwate Prefecture.
Why Remote Lands?
Exclusively Asia
With Remote Lands you'll travel with people who have made Asia the solitary focus of their own lifelong adventure. As our guest, you'll discover Asia on a journey that is completely, authentically your own, adapted from our own remarkable experiences and adventures over the years.
Travelogues
An Asia-focused magazine brought to you by Remote Lands - a platform for adventure, luxury, and authenticity from experts and explorers around the continent.
Naohito Ise: Japan National Tourism Organization on Post-Covid Travel
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- Travelogues
Remote Lands speaks to executive director Naohito Ise of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) about the future of travel in Japan.
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Heal Your Soul: 5 Journeys Through Japan for Your Wellbeing
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Whether it’s the wilds of Tohoku or the hot springs of Ishikawa, Japan has a wealth of experiences for your wellbeing.
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What Others Say
Here is a small selection of the kind words our clients have said about us recently.
Family from Minneapolis
Our family's trip to Japan was extremely well planned and well executed, on very short notice... Hats off to you!
A Couple from San Francisco
The guides and drivers were very knowledgable about the areas and took care of us well
A couple from Florida - Aman Jet Expedition, Spring 2016
As the trip progressed strangers became friends. Particularly special was the effortlessness: perfect logistics, never having to worry about anything, and, of course, the charming and thoughtful way you organised everything.
