Mongol invasions of Japan

Mongol invasions of Japan

The Mongol invasions of Japan were big military attacks led by Kublai Khan of the Yuan dynasty in the years 1274 and 1281. After the Korean kingdom of Goryeo became a part of his empire, Kublai Khan wanted to add the Japanese archipelago to his rule. These invasions were important moments in the history of Japan.

Even though the Mongols were strong, the invasions failed. This was because of brave resistance from the Japanese people and natural disasters. The most famous of these were huge typhoons that destroyed the Mongol ships. These storms were later called kamikaze (神風), meaning "divine wind," because many believed the winds were sent by the gods to protect Japan.

These events are also important because they were some of the first times gunpowder warfare was used outside of China. During the invasions, soldiers used new kinds of weapons, including explosive bombs that could be thrown by hand. The story of the Mongol invasions has been told in many books and movies, and it even influenced the meaning of the word kamikaze, which much later described Japanese pilots who crashed their planes during World War II.

Background

See also: Mongol invasions and conquests and Military of the Mongol Empire

After the Mongol invasions of Korea, the Korean kingdom of Goryeo agreed to follow Mongol rules and became a smaller nation under Mongol control. Kublai Khan became the leader of the Mongol Empire and set up his capital in what is now Beijing.

At that time, Japan was ruled by leaders called the Shikken from the Hōjō clan. They had taken power from the Kamakura shogunate. The Mongols also tried to control people living on the island of Sakhalin, including the Ainu and Nivkh peoples, but it is unclear if this was part of their plan to attack Japan.

Contact

Between 1266 and 1273, Mongol and Korean diplomats visited Japan six times. They asked the Japanese to join the Mongol Empire. The Japanese ignored these requests.

In 1265, a Korean citizen told Kublai Khan that Japan should join the Mongols. Kublai sent envoys to Japan, but they had many problems. The Japanese treated them poorly, making them stay in simple places and refusing to meet with them. This upset Kublai, so he sent more envoys. But each time, the Japanese either ignored them or treated them harshly. By 1273, the Mongols were very angry with Japan for not responding.

First invasion preparations

In April 1274, the Yuan dynasty planned to invade Japan. General Kim Panggyong led workers to build ships in Korea. They made three types of ships for the fleet. The invasion was meant to attack Tsushima Island, Iki Island, and Hakata Bay. Japanese defenders, led by local lords called gokenin, wanted to stop the invaders.

The Yuan forces had 15,000 soldiers from Mongol, Han Chinese, and Jurchen groups. They also had many Korean troops and sailors. At this time, a Japanese leader named Tokimune asked his Zen teacher, Mugaku Sogen, for advice. After meditating, Tokimune felt brave. He later helped teach Zen and Bushido to samurai in Japan.

First invasion (1274)

Main article: Battle of Bun'ei

In 1274, Kublai Khan of the Yuan dynasty sent a big fleet to Japan. They wanted to take over the islands. The first landing was on Tsushima Island. A small group of Japanese defenders fought hard but were overcome by the larger invading force. The invaders then went to Iki Island and finally to Hakata Bay on the island of Kyushu.

The battle at Hakata Bay is called the Battle of Bun'ei. Both sides fought strongly. The Japanese were surprised by the Mongols' tactics and weapons. Despite their efforts, the Japanese were pushed back. The Mongol forces decided to go back to their ships because they were tired and worried about night attacks. The next morning, most of the Mongol ships were gone, destroyed by a big storm. This storm stopped the invaders, ending the first invasion attempt.

Second invasion preparations

After the first attack in 1274, the Japanese leaders worked to get ready for another possible attack. They organized their soldiers better and built strong walls and other defenses at places where the attackers might land, such as Hakata Bay. They also placed sharp stakes in the water to make it hard for enemy ships to come close.

In 1275 and again in 1279, Kublai Khan sent messengers to Japan, but the Japanese leaders did not keep them safe. Later, Kublai planned a bigger attack using forces from many parts of his empire, including over 1,500 ships and many soldiers. This second attack was planned to be much larger than the first.

Second invasion (1281)

Main article: Battle of Kōan

In 1281, a leader named Kublai Khan tried to invade Japan again. He gathered two big groups of ships—one from Korea and one from southern China—to attack Japan together. But the group from Korea left earlier than planned.

The Korean ships attacked islands near Japan. The Japanese fighters defended strongly, and the battle was very hard. Many soldiers were hurt or lost. Later, the Chinese ships joined the fight near a strong Japanese defense point. For weeks, the two sides kept fighting with no clear winner.

Then, a very strong storm hit the invading ships. The powerful winds and waves wrecked many ships and caused many losses for the attackers. This storm was later called kamikaze, or “divine wind,” in Japanese. The storm helped the Japanese defenders and stopped the invasion. The failed attack showed how powerful nature can be and the difficulties of big military plans over long distances.

Aftermath

The Mongol Empire was made weaker after these invasions and lost much of its sea power. Korea, which helped build ships for the attack, also suffered because many trees were cut down. In Japan, the leaders who fought back were not given new land, which made them weaker.

Over time, more Japanese began attacking the coasts of China and Korea.

The invasions also changed culture. Zen Buddhism, taught by leaders like Hōjō Tokimune, became more popular. The term kamikaze ("divine wind") was first used to describe the typhoons that destroyed the Mongol ships. These storms made many Japanese believe their nation was protected and hard to invade, a belief that lasted for many years. The invasions also showed that the Mongols had trouble with sea attacks.

See also: Mongol invasions of Vietnam and Mongol invasion of Java

Military significance

The Mongol invasions of Japan were important because they showed early use of gunpowder weapons outside of China. The Mongol forces used explosive bombs, which were fired from catapults.

Japanese samurai fighters used longbows called yumi and weapons named naginata. They also used swords, which the Mongols saw as very sharp and dangerous. After these battles, Japanese sword makers improved their designs, creating stronger and better blades.