Beautiful! Traditionnally someone would be near the trooper commiting seppuku to decapitate him and end his suffering more quickly, but it seems the shogun was displeased with this trooper and didn't give him this favor. Or maybe all other troopers have died too and this was the only cowardly survivor. So much story from a single picture really!
You really have to admire the Japanese outlook on life, then and also now.