The military-nobility caste known as samurai — roughly meaning “those who serve” — emerged in medieval Japan as provincial warriors, and rose to control the country in the 12th century.
As the enforcement arm of the ruling shogunate, the samurai were elevated to a position of privilege.
Samurai followed a code of honor called bushido, informed by Confucianism and Zen Buddhism. Bushido emphasized martial fearlessness, discipline and loyalty, as well as general kindness.
These photos, made in the years after Japan finally opened its ports to international trade, capture samurai in their final days. With the 1868 Meiji Restoration and the end of feudalism, carrying swords was prohibited to all but the new national armed forces.
The samurai class was dissolved, but bushido survived as the national moral code of the new Japan.
Japanese samurai, aristocratic warriors in the service of a lord, circa 1865. (Photo by Felice Beato/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)Two Japanese samurai in fire dress, circa 1865. The one on the left wears a jingasa hat, and the one on the right wears the traditional indigo tabi socks of the samurai firefighter. (Photo by Felice Beato/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)2003-5001_2_23391_33, 31/1/06, 12:41 pm, 8C, 5461×3677 (1157+2928), 112%, bent 6 stops, 1/15 s, R42.5, G25.1, B45.5A Japanese samurai in traditional dress. (Photo by Felice Beato/Getty Images)circa 1867: A Japanese soldier armed with a sword. (Photo by Felice Beato/Henry Guttmann/Getty Images)1867: A Samurai warrior in armour. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)Photographic print of a Samurai warrior wearing armor and holding a sword. Dated 1877 Photo by: (Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty images)circa 1880: A Japanese Samurai warrior. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)Three samurai warriors in armour, circa 1880. (Photo by Kusakabe Kimbei/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)A samurai in armour, Japan, 1882. A photograph from Labor and Porcelain in Japan, by the United States Consul-General, Yokohama, 1882. (Photo by The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images)Japanese Samurai warrior with tattoos. Vintage photograph from japan 1890. (Photo by Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)Photograph of a Japanese warrior or Samurai with body tattoos. Taken by Felice beato. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)Hand-Colour photograph of a Japanese Samurai warrior by Franz von Stillfried-Ratenicz. Dated 1881. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)‘K. K. Mission nach Ost-Asien und Süd-Amerika ‘ Japan. ‘Ein Daimio in Kriegsrüstung ‘. About 1870. Photograph by Wilhelm Burger. (Photo by Imagno/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***1860’s photo of a Japanese Samurai. (Photo by Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)Japanese Samurai warrior, Vintage photograph from japan 1867. (Photo by Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)Japanese Samurai warrior, Vintage photograph from japan, 1867. (Photo by Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)Felice Beato; portrait of a Japanese samurai, in traditional dress. 1863-68. (Photo by Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)Photographic portrait of a female Samurai. Dated 1800. (Photo by Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)
Japanese samurai warriors, 1900. (Photo by Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)
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