Ippitsusai Bunro

In this print, Ippitsusai Bunrō captures a young samurai with his falcon, playfully adding his female companion, who holds another falcon.

Traditionally undertaken by courtiers and the royal family, falconry (takagari) has a long history in Japan. From the 1100s, the warrior class also engaged in this practice, establishing different schools around the sport. During the Edo period, falconry was greatly encouraged by the Tokugawa shogunate as an important military outlet for the samurai. Strict rules governing who could practice and keep birds of prey were developed, limiting participation only to those of high rank and status.