Koiwai Farm Makiba-en
A farm park in sight of Mount Iwate, beside barns where about 300 cows live.
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Koiwai Farm Makiba-en
SaveA farm park in sight of Mount Iwate, beside barns where about 300 cows live.
A covered tractor wagon takes you into the 100-Year Forest, an area otherwise closed to visitors.
MoreWhat kind of place
Koiwai Farm is a working dairy in Iwate Prefecture, and Makiba-en is the part of it open to visitors, pasture spread out with Mount Iwate in view.
The Kamimaru barns next door are where the farm's dairy business began: about 300 mother cows and calves live there, and nine of the buildings are nationally designated Important Cultural Properties.
The 100-Year Forest, a wooded stretch of the property, is closed to visitors, and the guided tractor wagon is the only way in.
Sources and evidence (26)
- The only place set up for nursing is the Makiba-en management center.source
- Diapers can be changed in four places: the restrooms at Sanrokukan, at Makiba Hall, in front of the management center, and beside the taxi and bus waiting area.source
- Seven restrooms can be used from a wheelchair: at Sanrokukan, Makiba Hall, in front of the management center, beside the taxi and bus waiting area, at the shop and food area outside the gate, at the Important Cultural Property gallery, and at the Makiba astronomy hall.source
- Four places to eat can be entered in a wheelchair: the Sanrokukan restaurant, the charcoal barbecue garden, Koiwai Farm Kitchen, and the shop and food area outside the gate.source
- Eleven places take cash only, so bring some with you: the ramen counter, the soft serve stand, the food area outside the gate, horseback riding, the horse cart, the horse feeding session, the craft workshop, farm patrol, archery, shepherd's golf and souvenir photos.source
- Koiwai Farm Kitchen takes electronic money but not credit cards, and dairy items such as milk and soft serve have to be paid for in cash.source
- The ticket window accepts credit cards, electronic money, and QR code payment.source
- Parking is free, with space for 1,500 cars and 30 large buses.source
- The number for questions is 019-692-4321, answered from 9:00 to 17:00.source
- Dogs are admitted for 500 yen each, which covers the dog run, and you sign a consent form at the entrance window.source
- Dogs cannot go into indoor facilities or the animal areas; they are limited to the outdoor seating at some places to eat.source
- The animal areas are closed for the winter.source
- The guided walk through the Kamimaru barns runs twice a day, at 10:00 and 15:30, and takes about 45 minutes.source
- The sheep feeding demonstration runs twice a day, at 11:45 and 15:00, lasts about 20 minutes, and starts in late April.source
- Hands-on sheep feeding is held twice a day, at 10:30 and 13:30, and those are the only times you can feed the sheep yourself.source
- Horseback riding and horse feeding run from 10:00 to 12:00 and from 13:30 to 15:30, with an hour and a half in the middle of the day when nothing runs.source
- The farm tractor ride uses a covered wagon and takes you with a guide through the pastures and the 100-Year Forest, a wooded area not otherwise open to visitors.source
- Butter-making classes are held at 11:00 and 14:00, with the 14:00 session on weekends and holidays only.source
- The Makiba craft workshop runs from 9:00 to 11:30 and from 13:00 to 15:30.source
- The Sanrokukan restaurant serves meals from 10:30 to 15:00 and drinks until 15:30, closing well before the park does at 17:00.source
- Soft serve is sold at Koiwai Farm Kitchen from 9:00 to 16:45 and at the Soft Cream House from 9:00 to 16:30.source
- The Sanrokukan restaurant is indoors with heating and air conditioning, so it is somewhere to go on a hot or cold day.source
- The farm publishes a suggested rainy-day route for taking the visit slowly.source
- The Kamimaru barns beside Makiba-en are where Koiwai's dairy operation began; about 300 mother cows and calves live there, and nine of the buildings are nationally designated Important Cultural Properties.source
- The cows at the Kamimaru barns are outside during the early morning, and the farm's own suggested route puts the barns at 9:30.source
- Lost items inside Makiba-en go to the nearest staff member or the management center; after you leave, call 019-692-4321 or use the inquiry form, and items are generally held for three months.source
With kidsThe part that matters
Come at opening if you can: the cows at the Kamimaru barns next door are outside early in the morning, and the farm's own suggested route puts you there at 9:30.
Book the covered tractor wagon on your way in, at the information center just inside the gate, so you have a place on one of the day's four runs.
The sheep can be fed only at 10:30 and 1:30, so build one of those into the plan if your children want a turn, and the pony rides go at walking pace with a staff member alongside.
The shuttle bus around the grounds stops between 11:30 and 1:00, so that gap is the time to eat rather than to walk the far end.
If the weather turns, the Sanrokukan restaurant is indoors with heat and air conditioning, though it stops serving meals at 3:00.
Sources and evidence (6)
- There is an indoor play space for small children called the Kids Corner, open through late October.source
- Play equipment can be rented, and the rental takes cashless payment.source
- Opening moved from 9:00 to 8:30 in holiday week. Sheep feeding 9:00, horses from 10:00; in and out in 90 minutes.source
- A roofed barbecue in the woods: 6,300 yen fed four, tools and seasoning included. Cash only, queues after noon.source
- Six kilometers, 90 minutes on foot from Koiwai station: a signal-free road, cars overtaking, no sidewalk and no shade.source
- Cherry blossom, holiday week. A 45-minute wait at the Sanrokukan restaurant; kids' lunch comes on a locomotive plate.source
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1In the Kamimaru Cow Barn next to Makiba-en about 300 mother cows and calves live, and they are outside early in the morning - the farm's own model course puts Kamimaru at 9:30. Indoors there is the Kids Corner, a play space for small children, open until late October. The Moumou-go park shuttle carries you around without walking.Nursing is possible at only one place, the Makiba-en Management Center. Diaper changing is at four: the Sanrokukan toilet, the Makiba no Hall toilet, the toilet in front of the Makiba-en Management Center, and the toilet beside the taxi and bus waiting area. The baby-support listing carries the note that some shops close in certain seasons. The Moumou-go shuttle runs 9:30-11:30 and 13:00-16:30 only, so in between you walk. The admission table starts at age 5 and has no row for children 4 and under.
- Ages 2-3The sheep feeding session runs twice a day, at 10:30 and 13:30, and those are the only times you can feed the sheep. There is also Sheep Mogumogu Time at 11:45 and 15:00, about 20 minutes, and horse feeding from 10:00-12:00 and 13:30-15:30. On a tired day or a wet one you can switch to the indoor Kids Corner and rented play equipment.Ride-on toys the child powers themselves - tricycles, bicycles, kick scooters, kids' bikes - may be neither brought in nor ridden; the rules say nothing about strollers. Feeding, horse riding, the horse-drawn Torobasha and Ouma-san no Mogumogu Time take cash only, so bring coins. The animal area closes for winter, so come within the April 1 to mid-November season if you want to meet the animals.
- Ages 4-6The Farm Tractor Ride is a covered wagon that takes you with a guide into the 100-Year Forest, otherwise closed to visitors, and across the pastures - four times a day, about 45 minutes. Horse riding is led on foot by staff, and children ride a pony. There is also a butter-making class at 11:00 (and 14:00 on weekends and holidays) and the Makiba Craft Class, 9:00-11:30 and 13:00-15:30.Book the Farm Tractor Ride at the information center just inside the entrance on your right; departures are 10:30, 11:30, 13:30 and 14:30. Horse riding and horse feeding run 10:00-12:00 and 13:30-15:30 and stop for an hour and a half at midday. Eleven places take cash only, among them horse riding, archery, Shepherd's Golf and the Makiba Craft Class. Admission is 300 yen for children from age 5, and 800 yen from junior high school age.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayGetting around means crossing pasture, but the farm publishes a “rainy day” model course, and there is an indoor Kids Corner, the air-conditioned Sanrokukan restaurant, and a farm tractor ride with roofed carriages.
- Hot dayNot checked yet
- Cold dayNot checked yet
Time needed1–1.5 h
How was it with your kids?
Not greatGreat
Family checks✓ easy for your family
- ElevatorElevator：not checked
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：not checked
- RentalStroller rental：not checked
- NursingNursing space：with conditionsconditions
- ChangingDiaper changing table：with conditionsconditions
- Family WCFamily restroom：with conditionsconditions
- Own foodOutside food allowed：not checked
- EnglishEnglish support：not checked
Tap a mark for details
* Other not checked (8)
Diaper disposal bin, Kids' toilet seat & step stool, Child switch (rider swap), Official family-friendly certification, Best-fit ages (guide), Crowding (guide), Quietness (guide), Lost-child support
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
Worth a look before you go
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Opening moved from 9:00 to 8:30 in holiday week. Sheep feeding 9:00, horses from 10:00; in and out in 90 minutes.
How long you need at Koiwai Farm Makiba-en, and the route to take with children
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
A roofed barbecue in the woods: 6,300 yen fed four, tools and seasoning included. Cash only, queues after noon.
Koiwai Farm: a hands-free barbecue with the kids was the best part
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Six kilometers, 90 minutes on foot from Koiwai station: a signal-free road, cars overtaking, no sidewalk and no shade.
Walking from Koiwai station to Koiwai Farm, part 1: the road
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Cherry blossom, holiday week. A 45-minute wait at the Sanrokukan restaurant; kids' lunch comes on a locomotive plate.
Traveling with the kids: the Koiwai Farm day
Koiwai Farm Makiba-en · Links & reads ▾
＋ Add a link
SaveOfficial site
Where it is
36-1 Maruyachi, Shizukuishi-cho, Iwate-gun, Iwate 020-0507source
Before you go
- An entry passport costs 3,000 yen for adults, 1,000 yen for children, and 1,800 yen for a dog, and it lets you come in as many times as you like during its validity without lining up at the ticket window on busy days.source
- The baby-support listing carries a note that individual facilities may be closed depending on the season.source
- Ride-on vehicles such as tricycles, bicycles, kick scooters and kids' bikes, along with skateboards and wheeled shoes, cannot be brought in or ridden; the rules say nothing about strollers.source
- Large tents and parasols, drones and kites, hard bats and hard balls, and barbecue equipment are also not allowed in.source
- Staff at the entrance may decide an item cannot come in, so ask ahead about anything you are unsure of.source
More notes (6)
- There is also a digital advance ticket that lets you walk in without lining up at the window.source
- Most of the park is barrier-free, though there are a few buildings you cannot get into.source
- The cashless payment list was last updated on November 25, 2024, a year and nine months before this information was gathered.source
- Pets other than dogs, such as cats, rabbits and ferrets, are not admitted.source
- The farm tractor ride goes four times a day, at 10:30, 11:30, 13:30 and 14:30, and takes about 45 minutes; book it at the information center immediately to your right as you come through the entrance.source
- The photos and text on the farm's website cannot be copied, altered, or redistributed for anything beyond personal use, so its images are not reproduced here.source
Basics
- Fee：Admission is 800 yen for adults, meaning junior-high age and up, and 300 yen for children from 5 years old to sixth grade. A dog is 500 yen, which includes the dog run. The fee table has no line for children under five, so their price is not stated. Visitors with a disability pay half for adults and children alike; the dog fee is not discounted. A season passport - 3,000 yen adult, 1,000 yen child, 1,800 yen dog - is valid from 11 April 2026 to 11 January 2027 and lets you in as many times as you like. Note that eleven places inside take cash only, among them the ramen counter, the soft-serve house, horse riding and the craft classes, so carry notes and coins.source2
- Hours：The park runs from 1 April to mid-November, 9:00-17:00, with last entry at 16:00. It is shut for the winter. Read the two dates carefully: the park's own season starts on 1 April, but the table of individual facilities and attractions, and the admission prices, both start on 11 April - so the first ten days may not have everything running. Timed activities are fixed: the guided Kamimaru cattle-barn tour at 10:00 and 15:30 (about 45 minutes), sheep feeding at 10:30 and 13:30, the sheep's mogumogu feeding show at 11:45 and 15:00 from late April, horse riding 10:00-12:00 and 13:30-15:30, and the tractor ride at 10:30, 11:30, 13:30 and 14:30. The restaurant stops serving food at 15:00, well before the park closes, and the shuttle bus pauses between 11:30 and 13:00. Hours change with the weather.source23
- Time to allow：1–1.5 hsource
- Booking：You can turn up and buy a ticket at the gate. Two things are worth doing in advance: a digital advance-entry ticket, sold so that you skip the ticket window, and the season passport, which also lets you walk past the queue. Inside the park, the Farm Tractor Ride is booked at the information center immediately on your right after the entrance. Groups are charged differently and have their own page. Dogs need a signed agreement, which you can print beforehand or sign at the entrance window.source234Official site ↗
Basics in detail (10)
Hours and closures
- Makiba-en is open from April 1 to mid-November, 9:00 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:00.source
Fees
- Admission is 800 yen for adults (junior high age and up), 300 yen for children (age 5 through 6th grade), and 500 yen per dog; no rate is listed for children 4 and under.source
- Those are the green-season prices listed as effective April 11, 2026, and visitors with disabilities pay half for both adult and child admission (dogs are not discounted).source
- Entry passports are sold from April 1 to August 31, 2026, and are valid from April 11, 2026 to January 11, 2027.source
- A local bus bound for Koiwai Farm Makiba-en leaves from stop 10 in front of JR Morioka Station and takes about 35 minutes (about 17 km / 11 miles) for 750 yen per adult, as of October 2025.source
- A taxi from JR Morioka Station takes about 30 to 40 minutes (about 17 km / 11 miles) and runs around 6,000 yen.source
Getting there
- By car it is about 15 minutes (12 km / 7.5 miles) from the Morioka interchange on the Tohoku Expressway; car navigation systems take the mapcode 81 872 669*6 or the phone number 019-692-4321.source
- From Koiwai Station on the JR Tazawako Line it is about an 80-minute walk (about 6 km / 3.7 miles), or roughly 10 to 15 minutes and about 2,000 yen by taxi.source
- If you catch the local bus at Koiwai Station, you may have to wait, since it does not connect neatly with the JR Tazawako Line.source
- From Iwate Hanamaki Airport, a highway bus reaches Morioka Station in about 45 minutes, and a rental car takes about 50 minutes by way of the Tohoku Expressway.source
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (6)
- Official: Diaper changing table, Nursing space, Family restroom
- Official: Indoor / outdoor
- Official: Indoor / outdoor
- Official: Stroller access notes
- Official: Stroller access notes
The barns next door are where Koiwai's dairy began; nine of them are national Important Cultural Properties, still in use. The guided visit runs at 10:00 and 15:30 and takes about 45 minutes. Sheep feeding also happens at set times, so the day is planned around the clock. Book the tractor ride at the information center just right of the entrance. Nursing is possible in one place only, the management center, while four toilets have changing tables. Eleven counters take cash only. The animal area shuts for winter.
| Stroller friendly | Not checked yet | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroller rental | Not checked yet | ||||
| Diaper changing table | Yes (4) | Four places to change a diaper: the toilets at Sanrokukan, at Makiba Hall, in front of the park management center, and beside the taxi and bus waiting area. Shops and facilities can be shut depending on the season. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | koiwaifarm.com |
| Nursing space | Yes (1) | One nursing room only, at the park management center. It is listed as a place for feeding, for babies' meals and for diaper changes. Shops and facilities can be shut depending on the season. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | koiwaifarm.com |
| Family restroom | Yes (7) | Seven toilets are listed as usable in a wheelchair: Sanrokukan, Makiba Hall, in front of the park management center, beside the taxi and bus waiting area, the outside-gate shop and food area, the Important Cultural Property gallery, and the Makiba astronomy hall. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | koiwaifarm.com |
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | ||||
| Elevator | Not checked yet | ||||
| Indoor / outdoor | Indoor & outdoor | Mostly outdoors on open pasture, with indoor places to retreat to: the air-conditioned Sanrokukan restaurant, the Milk Hall, the Important Cultural Property gallery, the astronomy hall and the wooden kids' corner. There is an official rainy-day model course. The outdoor barbecue garden can close in rain. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | koiwaifarm.comkoiwaifarm.com |
| English support | Not checked yet | ||||
| Outside food allowed | Not checked yet | ||||
| Steps & slope caution | Barrier-free | The park describes its facilities as almost all barrier-free, while saying some cannot be used. Five wheelchairs are lent free - ask at the ticket window. Four places to eat are listed as wheelchair-accessible: the Sanrokukan restaurant, the barbecue garden, the farm kitchen and the outside-gate shop and food area. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | koiwaifarm.com |
| Child switch (rider swap) | Not checked yet | ||||
| Official family-friendly certificationExtra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Best-fit ages (guide)Extra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Crowding (guide)Extra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Quietness (guide)Extra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Lost-child supportExtra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Stroller access notesExtra info — guide only | Yes | Parking is free, 1,500 spaces for cars and 30 for buses. By car it is about 15 minutes (12km) from Morioka IC on the Tohoku Expressway; the map code is 81 872 669*6. From JR Morioka station, the bus leaves from stand 10 and takes about 35 minutes for 750 yen, and a taxi takes 30-40 minutes for roughly 6,000 yen. Koiwai station is nearer but the walk is about 80 minutes over 6km, so take a taxi (10-15 minutes, about 2,000 yen); buses from Koiwai station can involve a wait for the train connection. From Iwate Hanamaki airport, an express bus reaches Morioka station in about 45 minutes, or a rental car takes about 50 minutes. Eleven places inside take cash only. Self-propelled toys - tricycles, scooters, kids' bikes - cannot be brought in, and staff may refuse other items at the gate; nothing is said either way about strollers. Dogs cost 500 yen and need a signed agreement, but cannot enter indoor buildings or the animal area; cats, rabbits and other pets cannot come in at all. Guide, hearing and assistance dogs may go inside. The shuttle bus around the park runs 9:30-11:30 and 13:00-16:30. Inquiries: 019-692-4321, 9:00-17:00. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | koiwaifarm.comkoiwaifarm.comkoiwaifarm.com |
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