Samurai are often depicted in movies and artwork as noble warriors clad in ornate armor, but real photographs from the 1800s reveal a more authentic glimpse into their world. These rare images capture the last era of the samurai as Japan transitioned from feudal rule to modernization during the Meiji Restoration. From battle-ready warriors in full armor to dignified swordsmen in robes, these 19 real photos showcase the true face of the sumurai before their way of life faded into history.
1. Portrait of a samurai wearing his armor in the 1870s.
2. Samurai posing with a Katana and a revolver in Japan, 1873.
3. Samurai posing with a longbow in 1863.
4. Portrait of a samurai in his armor with bows and arrows, circa 1865-70.
5. Samurai in the late 1800s wearing a mino (straw rain cape).
6. Slightly burnt photo of a samurai during the Edo period in Japan, 1865.
7. A samurai warrior equipping his armor circa 1860-70.
8. A samurai and his retainers wearing mail armor and armed with naginata in 1870.
9. Satsuma samurai posing for a photo before the Battle of Toba-Fushimi (near Kyoto) in 1868.
10. A samurai during the Edo Period, Japan, in 1865.
11. A samurai with two swords, wearing a kamishimo (formal outer garment) in Japan, 1868.
12. A samurai in full armor, striking a combat pose circa 1860s.
13. A young samurai from the Satsuma Domain circa 1877-80.
14. A samurai with a longbow from the Satsuma Domain, Japan, in 1860.
15. Onna-Bugeisha, a female samurai warrior, circa late 1800s.
16. Samurai holding a spear during the Meiji period, Japan, in 1898.
Bettmann/Contributor
17. A group of Japanese sumarai warriors circa 1880.
Hulton Archive/Stringer
18. A group of samurai in armor and holding a long bow, sword, and pole, circa 1870s-90s.
Heritage Images/Contributor
19. A Daimio in full sumarai armaments in 1870.
brandstaetter images/Contributor
