Historically, the samurai serving a daimyo, or feudal lord, would all wear similar armor, while here the mannequins sport different styles.

WSJ: Dressed to Kill in Peacetime | Samurai! | Museum of Fine Arts, Boston | By Lee Lawrence

Mr Ishihara's photograph was of daimyo (lords') mansions.

ECONOMIST: Gems of the ocean

From the perspective of the daimyo, the procession dazzled the populace while, from the viewpoint of the shogun, the cost involved helped keep the daimyos in check by draining resources they might otherwise channel into insurrections.

WSJ: Dressed to Kill in Peacetime | Samurai! | Museum of Fine Arts, Boston | By Lee Lawrence