Microseason: Young Hawks Study Skills
SUMMER
SMALL HEAT
YOUNG HAWKS STUDY SKILLS
17 - 21 July
In preparation to live independently, young hawks learn how to fly and hunt around this time of year. Hawks are known for their exceptional flight capabilities, able to maneuver freely through the sky. Among the animals most closely associated with authority and refinement is the hawk.
The art of falconry, takagari, developed not only as a means of hunting, but as a cultural system embedded with ritual, status, and aesthetics. In turn, a wide range of crafts evolved to support and symbolize the practice. Falconry is believed to have been introduced to Japan from China in the 4th century. The falconer is a figure with deep historical roots, appearing in Japan's earliest texts. Imperial hunts using trained hawks were conducted under court supervision. In the 8th century, falconry had become part of aristocratic practice. From the 12th century, it was taken up by military families, eventually becoming a formalized pursuit within the samurai class.
By the 1700s, the takahamon or hawk feather crest was a family emblem used by several samurai houses, and versions of this motif appear in Imari porcelain and Kyo ware. These patterns, often rendered in underglaze blue or overglaze enamel, were not merely decorative but are associated to martial pride. In lacquerware, hawks grip branches or perch on cliffs. Such motifs are popular for stationary boxes, sword accessories, and inro cases. In textile production, hawks appear on nobori banners, where they pair with symbols of strength such as dragons. Its commanding presence in flight, sharp gaze, and disciplined nature made it an ideal symbol for warrior households. And the Tokugawa shogunate institutionalized falconry with an official office of falconers.
Falconry events served not only as private recreation for the shogun but also as grand public displays of control over nature and social order. Elaborate hunting expeditions were staged, involving strict dress codes and ceremonial equipment.
The materials used in falconry were made with careful attention to detail, reflecting the hierarchical nature of the practice. The takabanegasa, a hat worn by falconers, was crafted from fine bamboo and lacquered paper to ensure both durability and distinction. Leather bags called takajōbukuro were used to carry tools and food for the hawk, often reinforced with ornamental stitching and metal fittings. Takabako falcon transport boxes were made from cypress or paulownia wood, sometimes adorned with family crests or hawk feather motifs. While few of these items were produced, examples survive in museum collections and specialized archives.
As Japan entered the Meiji period, falconry as a practice declined sharply due to changes in land use, animal protection laws, and modernization of weaponry. However, elements of falcon culture continue in symbolic form. In some rural regions, ceremonial falconry demonstrations were maintained as part of local heritage festivals. More recently, efforts have been made to preserve falconry-related knowledge as intangible cultural heritage, including the training methods, vocabulary, and craftsmanship surrounding the tools of the hunt.
Photo credit: Shizuoka Hamamatsu Izu Info