Tokyo Falconers by Yokozeki Kazuhiro

Tokyo Falconers: The Private Lives of Raptors and Men

"With their parallel lives, animals offer man a companionship which is different from any offered by human exchange. Different because it is a companionship offered to the loneliness of man as a species." - John Berger, Why Look at Animals?

I have been photographing people living with falcons and other exotic birds of prey like owls as pets in Tokyo for almost 2 years. Falconry and owing raptors have recently started gaining popularity in Japan because one does not need to have licenses and can own an unlimited number of species, unlike the U.S or Canada’s strict regulations. The Tokyo falconers and their community leave me in awe at a glimpse of another world of both animal and human minds. I am attracted not only to the air of the bird's haughty independence, but also to our relationship with animals and nature, especially in the modern city surroundings. It seems that many Tokyoites start living with exotic birds as pets out of mere curiosity, in part to reduce a great amount of stress and loneliness from their busy city life. Yet, in the end, both bird and mankind's realms of freedom never meet, remaining parallel within their own solitude. In a way their boundary of belonging and withdrawing at the edge of human society and animal kingdom becomes blurred, although they are not interchangeable. This insight has profound sociological and philosophical implications, especially now as the Japanese economy has continued to be unstable and ever unpredictable and many people have started losing a sense of direction and are searching for their own safe refuge in an insecure world. So, falconry and owning exotic animals function as not only a sport they enjoy individually but also a tool to socialize with each other, and to share the story of their own pets and a sense of belonging to both human and raptorial world.

November, 2011-April, 2013

Seiji Suzuki’s 59, Ha...oto-ku, Tokyo,  Japan.

Seiji Suzuki’s 59, Harris Hawk named “Sora -Sky in Japanese”, rests on a fence atoccasional Tokyo Falconer’s community gathering in Kiba Park on the weekend. They often gather together at the park on the weekend to strength their bond of raptor love. 2011, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Seiji Suzuki’s, 59, p...se. 2011, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Seiji Suzuki’s, 59, pet Harris Hawk named “Sora- Sky in Japanese” flies in front of his house at night. Suzuki works for marketing industry. He flies and feeds Sora after work at night. Having exotic wild animals is his utmost dedication in his spare time. He also takes care of a fox, a badger, and three ferrets as pets in his house. 2011, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Ryusuke Akedo, 34, chills out a...s. 2012, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Ryusuke Akedo, 34, chills out and shares an early summer evening with his pet owls at his apartment’s balcony. In addition to three owls, he owns a steppe eagle and three parrots. He works for fishing industry and he dedicates his spare times to taking care of his pet raptors. Eventually he opens “Birds Café” which allows customers to observe various raptors while sipping coffee and displays some of his pets as “Bird Staff” with the help of his girlfriend who is also into pet raptors. 2012, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Takanori Suzuki, 25, bathes dom...-city, Chiba prefecture, Japan.

Takanori Suzuki, 25, bathes domesticated raptors at “Café Little Zoo” which allows customers to observe exotic creatures like raptors or reptiles while sipping coffee and having a dish in a Tokyo suburb. The Café’s owner is Suzuki’s friend. He often stops by the café and helps taking care of the café’s raptors. His pet Harris Hawk “Cha Cha Maru” is in front. 2012, Narashino-city, Chiba prefecture, Japan.

Mariko Nakano, 29, feeds her pe...n. 2013, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Mariko Nakano, 29, feeds her pet owl “Maru-Roundishness in Japanese” a frozen quail in a kitchen. 2013, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Owners of raptors are absorbed ...e. 2011, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Owners of raptors are absorbed by play station games at Kiba Park. They often gather together at the park on the weekend to strength their bond of raptor love. 2011, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Visitors at Kiba Park enjoy bot...e. 2013, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Visitors at Kiba Park enjoy both blooming cherry blossoms and Takanori Suzuki’s Harris Hawk, “Cha Cha Maru” perching on the tree. 2013, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Takanori Suzuki, 25, is on the ...f. 2011. Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Takanori Suzuki, 25, is on the way back home with his beloved pet Harris Hawk, “Cha Cha Maru” from nearby park on his day off. 2011. Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Seiji Suzuki, 59, practices fal...e. 2011, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Seiji Suzuki, 59, practices falconry with his pet Harris Hawk named “Sora -Sky in Japanese” in front of his house at night. Suzuki works for marketing company. Having exotic wild animals is his utmost dedication in his spare time. He also takes care of a fox, a badger, and three ferrets as pets in his house. 2011, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Ryusuke Akedo, 34, chills out and shares an early summer evening with his pet steppe eagle at his apartment’s balcony. In addition to the steppe eagle, he owns three owls and three parrots. He works for fishing industry and he dedicates his spare times to taking care of his pet raptors. Eventually he opens “Birds Café” which allows customers to observe various raptors while sipping coffee and displays some of his pets as “Bird Staff” with the help of his girlfriend who is also into pet raptors. 2012, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Takanori Suzuki’s, 25...uo; 2013, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Takanori Suzuki’s, 25, Harris Hawk “ChaCha Maru”, right, and his friend’s owl “Yamato”, left, which is taken cared by Suzuki, temporarily occupy the most of his apartment’s front entrance space. Suzuki works for pharmaceutical company. He dedicates his spare time to taking care of “Cha Cha Maru.” 2013, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Takanori Suzuki, 25, center, an...-city, Chiba prefecture, Japan.

Takanori Suzuki, 25, center, and his friends walk with their beloved pet falcons to nearby park for practicing falconry in a Tokyo suburb.ü€€2012, Narashino-city, Chiba prefecture, Japan.

Takanori Suzuki's &...g. 2011, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Takanori Suzuki's “Cha Cha Maru” decides not to move an inch from a tree at Kiba Park. It is often happened because the hawk has been domesticated his entire life and loses a sense of direction and is confused and scared by encountering with wild animals like crows or cats during falconry. Suzuki called it a day on that day. Eventually, “Cha Cha Maru” went back to Suzuki’s hand safely next morning. 2011, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Mariko Nakano, 29, puts her pet...g. 2013, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Mariko Nakano, 29, puts her pet owl, "Maru-Roundishness in Japanese" back into cage after feeding. 2013, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Occasional Tokyo Falconer&r...e. 2011, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Occasional Tokyo Falconer’s community gathering at Kiba Park on the weekend. They often gather together at the park on the weekend to strength their bond of raptor love. 2011, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Seiji Suzuki, 59, talks to his ...ge. 2011, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Seiji Suzuki, 59, talks to his Harris Hawk named "Sora-Sky in Japanese" tenderly before a routine night falconry practice at night. Suzuki works for marketing industry. He flies and feeds Sora after work. Having exotic wild animals is his utmost dedication in his spare time. He also takes care of a fox, a badger, and three ferrets as pets in his house. Suzuki gives Sora an entire room of his house as a cage. 2011, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Takanori Suzuki, 25, is at trai...;2012, Chiba prefecture, Japan.

Takanori Suzuki, 25, is at train station with a cage. He transports and often rides a train with a cage in which his pet Harris Hawk, “Cha Cha Maru” is kept. The label on the cage says, “Hawk rides in this cage.” 2012, Chiba prefecture, Japan.

Takanori Suzuki, 25, flies his ...-city, Chiba prefecture, Japan.

Takanori Suzuki, 25, flies his beloved pet Harris Hawk, “Cha Cha Maru” in the park.2012. Kashiwa-city, Chiba prefecture, Japan.

Takanori Suzuki, 25, adores his...e. 2013, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Takanori Suzuki, 25, adores his friend’s owls at Kiba Park. He and his friends often gather together on the weekend to strength their bond of raptor love. 2013, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Curious bystanders and customer...e. 2013, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Curious bystanders and customers are reflected on "Bird Staff" displaying at recently opened "Birds cafe" which allows customers to observe various raptors while sipping coffee. 2013, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Seiji Suzuki’s 59, Harris Hawk named “Sora -Sky in Japanese”, rests on a perch solemnly after flying and feeding at night. Suzuki gives Sora an entire room of his house as a cage. 2011, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

A close look of soaring raptor ...e. 2011, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

A close look of soaring raptor T-shirt and merchandise at occasional Tokyo Falconer’s community gathering in Kiba Park on the weekend. They often gather together at the park on the weekend to strength their bond of raptor love. 2011, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Takanori Suzuki, 25, tries to l...g. 2011, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Takanori Suzuki, 25, tries to lure back his Harris Hawk, "Cha Cha Maru" with bait desperately because “Cha Cha Maru” decides not to move an inch from a tree at Kiba Park. It is often happened because the hawk has been domesticated his entire life and loses a sense of direction and is confused and scared by encountering with wild animals like crows or cats during falconry. Suzuki called it a day on that day. Eventually, “Cha Cha Maru” went back to Suzuki’s hand safely next morning. 2011, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.