The Real Samurais: 24 Interesting Vintage Portraits of Japanese Warriors in the 19th Century

When you think of samurai, you may think of their armor and swordsmanship or even the Bushido Code they followed. You may also think of the Edo period that has been highlighted in Japan's history. Surprisingly, the samurai have been around for centuries, even in the A.D. time period. As the years went on, the samurai held more prominent positions in the government and in the country of Japan, most importantly in the Edo period (1603-1867). They were known as the highest rank in the caste system at the time. As you can imagine, the samurai were important warriors. They followed orders of the Shogun, the military governor appointed by the emperor himself.

Here, below is a collection of some of Samurai photographs which were taken from between 1863 and 1900.