Mongol invasions of Japan

Major military efforts were taken by Kublai Khan of the Yuan dynasty in 1274 and 1281 to conquer the Japanese archipelago after the submission of the Korean kingdom of Goryeo to vassaldom. Ultimately a failure, the invasion attempts are of macro-historical importance because they set a limit on Mongol expansion and rank as nation-defining events in the history of Japan. The invasions are referred to in many works of fiction and are the earliest events for which the word kamikaze (神風 "divine wind") is widely used, originating in reference to the two typhoons faced by the Yuan fleets.

Mongol invasions of Japan
Part of the Mongol invasion of East Asia and Kublai Khan's campaigns

Mongol invasions of Japan in 1274 and 1281
Date1274, 1281
Location
Northern Kyūshū, Japan
Result

Japanese victory

Belligerents

Kamakura shogunate

Yuan dynasty

Commanders and leaders
 Yuan dynasty:
Goryeo dynasty:
Strength
  • 1274: 28,000–30,000 with 3,500 ships
  • 1281: 100,000 and 40,000 with 900 ships
Casualties and losses
1274/1281: ?
  • 1274: 13,500
  • 1281: 100,000

The invasions were one of the earliest cases of gunpowder warfare outside of China. One of the most notable technological innovations during the war was the use of explosive, hand-thrown bombs.

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