The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has entered into a new partnership with Japan’s Suwa Falconry Preservation Society (SFPS), establishing a long-term framework to protect one of the country’s oldest falconry traditions while strengthening cultural ties between Abu Dhabi and Japan.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 23rd Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX 2026). It will support the preservation of Suwa-ryū falconry, a tradition dating back to Japan’s Tokugawa Shogunate and passed down through 18 generations of master falconers.
At the centre of the partnership is the SFPS’s historic training facility, which has operated for around 150 years. Following a joint assessment carried out in January 2026, EAD will contribute towards essential repairs and improvements to the site. The centre currently trains about 25 students each month and offers an apprenticeship programme open to people from different backgrounds.
The agreement will also create an annual cultural exchange programme. Young Emirati falconers will have the opportunity to travel to Japan to learn traditional Japanese falconry practices, while both sides will collaborate on workshops, student activities, and research.
The partnership brings together two cultures in which falconry has become an important part of national heritage. Abu Dhabi contributes decades of experience in raptor research and conservation, while the Suwa school represents centuries of knowledge surrounding traditional Japanese falconry.
Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of EAD, said the partnership reflected the shared values of falconry, including patience, discipline, respect for birds of prey, and the responsibility to pass knowledge from one generation to the next.
“Falconry is a living tradition that belongs to no single nation; it belongs to those who keep it alive,” she said, adding that the cooperation would help protect both the practice and the cultural traditions connected to it.
Noriko Otsuka, President of the Suwa Falconry Preservation Society and 18th-generation grandmaster of the Suwa school, said the agreement would help secure the future of the tradition while creating a lasting connection between the falconry communities of Abu Dhabi and Japan.
For Abu Dhabi, the partnership builds on a long history of linking falconry with wildlife conservation. Falconry has deep roots in the UAE, where it developed from a traditional hunting practice into an important cultural discipline centred on the relationship between falconer and bird.
The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founding Father of the UAE, was a lifelong falconer and played a major role in promoting the protection of falcons and other birds of prey. Under his influence, conservation became closely connected with the preservation of the UAE’s falconry heritage.
The UAE later played a leading role in efforts to secure international recognition for falconry, which was eventually added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Abu Dhabi has also developed a significant record in raptor conservation. The emirate has supported international research and protection programmes for migratory birds of prey, including work involving the Saker Falcon in Mongolia through artificial nest-box initiatives supported by the Mohamed bin Zayed Raptor Conservation Fund.
The Sheikh Zayed Falcon Release Programme has meanwhile released more than 2,400 falcons across Central Asia. Conservation efforts have also involved institutions such as the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, recognised as the world’s largest facility of its kind.
The latest agreement extends Abu Dhabi’s existing cooperation with Japan. Previous initiatives have included partnerships involving the Emirates Falconers’ Club and INPEX JODCO, an EAD-INPEX JODCO raptor agreement, and a falcon exchange programme, as well as joint documentary projects with Tokyo MX.
Through the new partnership, both sides aim to deepen these ties while giving younger generations greater access to traditional knowledge. It also supports a wider goal of ensuring that historic falconry practices remain relevant and protected as part of the cultural heritage of both countries.
