The first thing that hits you at Azuma Farm Koiwai is the fresh, calming smell of hinoki wood, which is layered on the lofty ceilings around the resort, and decorates the handful of quaint cabins that are dotted across its grounds.
Contained by a ring of Japanese cedars and red pines, and with variegated grasses rippling in its wide pastures, Azuma Farm offers a quieter take on Japan—a universe away from the ever-proliferating set of tourist traps and crowd-plagued photo spots in much of the country. Situated in the sleepy rural region of Iwate, a prefecture known mostly for its chocolate box-worthy landscapes, special soba noodles, and its artisanal iron kettles (more on those later), it’s just a couple of hours north on the bullet train from Tokyo but feels like a deep breath away from the buzz of the capital.
Photo: Courtesy of Azuma Farm
The resort sits on the grounds of Koiwai Farm, a century-old private farm (the largest in Japan) whose well-known dairy products are stocked at supermarkets around the country. Azuma itself, removed as it is from the barnyards and stables, is breezily free of the smells and sounds particular to a real farm, and there are no animals roaming the vicinity (local bears inhabit the region, though guests will be relieved to know they are kept out by a fence that spans the forest perimeter). There are plans to grow vegetables, but at the moment, this idyllic pocket of land in rural Japan is just that.
Photo: Courtesy of Azuma Farm
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