Officialy it was known as The Second Japanese Embassy to Europe, an effort in 1863 by the Japanese to get the French to agree to the closure of the Port of Yokohama to foreign trade. It was part of the then Japanese Emporers desire to close the country to Western influence, and return to sakoku status. It failed, I mean there wasn't much chance that late 1800s Japan could influence much, they still needed a few decades (hey there Russia).
On their way to France the mission visited Egypt and posed in front of the Sphinx and photographer Antonio Beato, brother of the famous photographer Felice Beato, captured this pretty awesome shot.
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