Corrected entry: At the last charge of the Samurai, they fall in droves to the Japanese army. The armour the samurai wore was designed to withstand blows from high pressure per impact katana swords, it would have resisted the rifle shots from the Japanese infantry more effectively than shown, maybe not from the Gatling guns but definitely from the rifles.
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Correction: Not so. It was mainly designed to resist slashing attacks. In fact, most of the time Japanese armor wasnt even 'armor' at all, just woven silk, padding, and light metal, sometimes even wood. The purpose of the armor was to offer minimal protection, while full mobility for the samurai to move. Samurai put most of their faith in avoiding any blow, rather than letting his armor withstand it, which is why they needed such mobility. Even if a katana were to strike them, there would still be a pretty good chance the armor wouldn't be able to absorb it. Similarly, a gunshot would easily penetrate most samurai armor. Some of the more wealthy samurai were able to wear Euoropian type breast plates that offered more protection, but still they may or may not resist a rifle shot. In fact, you'll notice that once firearms became the major weapon in battle worldwide, armor was completely done away with, as even the heaviest full plate of armor wouldn't be able to withstand most rifle shots.
RJR99SS
The Japanese army were using Remington Keene rifles in .45-70 caliber. The gatling guns were also in .45-70 caliber. They would most certainly penetrate their armor.