Conifer Iwabitsu is a nature-rich resort facility located in Higashiagatsuma Town, Gunma Prefecture. Situated halfway up Mount Iwabitsu, one of the region’s most distinctive mountains, the resort occupies a spacious site of approximately 5,600 tsubo (about 18,500 square meters).
Surrounded by forests, the resort provides a peaceful setting where visitors can slow down and enjoy the changing scenery of the four seasons. Guests can choose from a wide range of activities and experiences, including accommodation, hot springs, camping, sports, and hands-on workshops.
Far from the noise of the city, Conifer Iwabitsu is a popular destination for relaxing in nature and refreshing both body and mind.
The resort offers a variety of accommodation options, including Japanese-style and Western-style rooms in the main building as well as authentic log cabins.
The log cabins feature warm, natural wood interiors and provide a comfortable way to enjoy a peaceful stay surrounded by the forest. Some accommodation buildings are also pet-friendly, making the resort a popular choice for travelers who want to enjoy a trip with their dogs.
During the summer season, a campground is also available and attracts many campers from the Tokyo metropolitan area and beyond. The facilities include tent sites, cooking areas, a campfire area, and shower rooms, allowing even first-time campers to enjoy an outdoor stay with peace of mind.
Having a barbecue surrounded by forest or gazing up at the stars at night can create special memories that are difficult to experience in everyday city life.
The resort’s natural surroundings also enhance the appeal of its hot spring facilities. In the open-air bath, guests can enjoy views of fresh green foliage in spring and colorful autumn leaves in fall while relaxing in the warm water.
After dark, the absence of city lights allows countless stars to appear overhead, creating a tranquil and almost magical atmosphere.
The hot spring water is classified as a calcium-sodium sulfate and chloride spring. It is traditionally associated with benefits such as easing muscle aches, joint discomfort, neuralgia, and fatigue.
The large communal bath also uses natural water from Mount Yakushidake, providing a gentle bathing experience with mineral-rich water.
The resort also features an authentic Finnish-style sauna, where guests can experience löyly by pouring water over heated sauna stones to create a wave of steam and heat.
A private open-air bath is also available for families and other groups seeking a more private experience. Guests can relax while enjoying the scenery of the surrounding forest as it changes with the seasons.
Meals at Conifer Iwabitsu focus on ingredients harvested in the surrounding mountain villages. Seasonal kaiseki-style cuisine makes use of fresh local ingredients and presents them in an attractive and colorful manner, adding another highlight to a stay at the resort.
Popular local specialties include Joshu Beef steak, made with Gunma’s well-known branded beef, and Yamato Pork shabu-shabu, featuring tender slices of pork cooked briefly in hot broth.
Guests can also enjoy traditional regional dishes such as okkirikomi, a hearty Gunma-style noodle dish, as well as grilled yamame trout and other mountain delicacies.
Breakfast is served buffet-style, with around 40 different dishes, including rice made from locally grown Higashiagatsuma Koshihikari and fresh vegetables. The restaurant’s natural light and forest surroundings create a pleasant atmosphere for a relaxed morning meal.
The resort grounds include a range of sports facilities, including sports fields, tennis courts, and a gymnasium.
A natural-grass field can be used for activities such as soccer, baseball, and rugby, while all-weather tennis courts are available for year-round play. The facilities are also used for school camps, sports clubs, and group training programs.
Nature-based activities are another attraction. An athletic playground allows children to enjoy active play among the trees, while hands-on workshops led by local instructors introduce visitors to traditional and creative activities such as soba noodle making, bamboo crafts, and dyeing.
At the forest-based Creative Workshop, visitors can also make crafts using acorns, seeds, wood, and other natural materials. These activities are enjoyable for both children and adults.
Conifer Iwabitsu is surrounded by the beautiful landscape of Mount Iwabitsu, one of the notable scenic destinations in the Kanto region.
The mountain is also closely associated with Japanese history. During the Sengoku period, the famous Iwabitsu Castle, connected with the Sanada clan, was built on the mountain. Visitors can therefore experience both the natural landscape and the region’s samurai history.
The surrounding forest is home to a wide variety of wildlife. Depending on the season and conditions, visitors may encounter giant stag beetles, rhinoceros beetles, and the great purple emperor butterfly, a nationally designated Natural Monument. Japanese serow also inhabit the surrounding mountains.
The streams in the area are home to mountain fish such as yamame trout and iwana char, providing further opportunities to appreciate the region’s rich natural environment.
The facility originally opened as a recreational retreat operated by Suginami Ward in Tokyo under the name “Suginami Shizen-mura,” meaning “Suginami Nature Village.” It was created through a friendship between Suginami Ward and the former Agatsuma Town and served as a place for exchange between an urban community and a rural region.
Later, due to financial circumstances in Suginami Ward, the facility was privatized and relaunched under its current name, Conifer Iwabitsu.
Today, it continues to welcome visitors as a nature-oriented resort where guests can experience the forests, mountains, hot springs, and local culture of Higashiagatsuma.
For visitors traveling by train, JR Gunma-Haramachi Station is approximately a 10-minute ride from the resort by complimentary shuttle bus.
From Tokyo and other areas, a common route is to travel by Shinkansen to Takasaki Station and transfer to the JR Agatsuma Line.
By car, the resort is approximately 60 minutes from the Kan-Etsu Expressway’s Shibukawa-Ikaho Interchange. The drive takes visitors through a scenic mountain environment surrounded by the forests and peaks of Gunma.
Conifer Iwabitsu is a resort where visitors can enjoy nature while combining relaxation in hot springs with local cuisine, outdoor activities, sports, and hands-on experiences.
The scenery changes beautifully with the seasons, while the star-filled night sky and flavors of locally produced food provide experiences that are difficult to find in urban areas.
Whether for a family vacation, camping trip, sports camp, or outdoor adventure, Conifer Iwabitsu offers many ways to enjoy the natural surroundings of Higashiagatsuma.
Surrounded by the forests of Mount Iwabitsu, visitors can slow down, reconnect with nature, and enjoy a peaceful stay in one of Gunma’s beautiful mountain settings.