The Samurai.

This photo was taken around 1868 by British-Italian photographer, Felice Beato, one of the first people to take photographs in East Asia and one of the very first war photographers.
The Samurai - 'those who serve' - were the military nobility class which emerged from Japan's provinces and rose to control the country in the 12th century. The Samurai found themselves in a position of privilege as they enforced the ruling of the shogunate and became legendary for their 'bushido' code. This code encapsulated fearlessness, compassion, loyalty, discipline, ruthlessness and kindness. To be a samurai, one must be many things at once. Calligraphy, architecture and the arts in general were revered by the samurai as it was believed by some that the practice of other skills would in turn enhance one's capabilities in the martial arts.
With the Meiji restoration period, beginning 1868, Japan began to open its ports to international trade. This allowed for more pictures of the samurai to be captured, like the one you see above. This samurai isn't wearing any armour, but as the saying goes, beware of an old man in a profession where men usually die young.
With the Meiji restoration, carrying swords in public became prohibited and the samurai class was dissolved. However, bushido was to survive as the national moral code of new Japan.