They would still have been alive but those guys in the picture are pretty young. Even if they were using dad’s or grandpa’s armour, I’d still consider that cosplaying.
If this was taken in, say, 1890, it would have only been 14 years since the samurai were formally abolished, and numerous young men would have been training for most of their adolescence in that tradition. These fellows could easily be in their 30s - even old enough to have been in the role of a samurai in their 20s.
It could also just be folks posing, like you suggest, but the possibility that they are genuinely samurai, or ex-samurai, is not particularly unlikely.
They would still have been alive but those guys in the picture are pretty young. Even if they were using dad’s or grandpa’s armour, I’d still consider that cosplaying.
If this was taken in, say, 1890, it would have only been 14 years since the samurai were formally abolished, and numerous young men would have been training for most of their adolescence in that tradition. These fellows could easily be in their 30s - even old enough to have been in the role of a samurai in their 20s.
It could also just be folks posing, like you suggest, but the possibility that they are genuinely samurai, or ex-samurai, is not particularly unlikely.
Alright alright. You got me. Guess I’ll have to commit Sudoku now.