Remains of 13th-century Mongolian warship found off Nagasaki Pref

There must be hundreds more, hopefully they will find a very well preserved one day. Kepp digging.

The Mongolian fleet was so vast that the Emporer ordered all Japanese people to the temples to pray for Dinine intervention. That night one of the strongest typhoons occured sinking the Mongolian invaders, it became known in Enlish as Divine Wind, Kamakaxe. So yes I think their are many more of these ships preserved in Japanese waters

Mongolia is such an inland country. How did these people learned to become expert in sailing and navigating the ocean? If the boat was 12 meters long, it must've carried 20-30 troops per ship. And what was the reason to invade Japan?

Not up on your history sfjp330?

They maded the Chinese and especially the Koreans build and sail the ships.

I believe the troops were also mostly Koreans and Kublai Khan of the Yuan Dynasty was coxed into invading Japan through strong recommendation by Korean bureaucrats.

I totally dig this kind of news. So interesting. I hope they do keep looking.

@Triumvere

sfjp330 asked a question because he/she wants to know more about history. Anyone wanting to learn more gets full support from me. It's a pity you have to be so rude about it.

I would not think "they" will find a fully preserved ship due to a number of environmental factors but I would like to be proven wrong.

sfjp330 asked a question because he/she wants to know more about history. Anyone wanting to learn more gets full support from me. It's a pity you have to be so rude about it.

Sorry. Didn't mean to be rude. I was just surprised, that's all. "Kamikaze" are pretty famous around these parts.

As for learning more about history, I answered his question. The first part of it, anyway. As to the question of "why did they invade?" Well... that was kinda the Mongol's "thing" as it were. There were some diplomatic disputes about respects to be paid to the Yuan emperor - basically the Mongols demanded Japan make itself a vassal state and remit tribute, and Kamakura responded by stonewalling for several years. Kublai Kahn was not pleased with that, thus the invasions.

This discovery may have some of the ultra-nationalists here rattled. Could it be possible that some of the Korean/Chinese/Mongol crew of these ships stayed on in Japan and settled and mixed blood with the locals? No way, they will say - Japan is 100% homogenous and always has been!

@Triumvere

You are obviously sincere about studying history. I was not aware of the politics involved - I had always thought it a straight out land grab, which to be honest is what is really was.

Fascinating how things turned out for both sides.

Very Interesting. I did not know that the Mongols sent many ships to that area; I thought most went to Hakata bay.

Does anyone know if the Mongol invasions where in retaliation to the wokou pirates?

Well Kamikaze wasn't just a 1 day event. Apparently these Mongols stayed near the Japanese coasts for months till finally taken down by the typhoon Kamikaze.

I hope they can raise this ship and put it on show to the public with all the artefacts. Maybe along the lines of the Mary Rose exhibition at Portsmouth Dockyard in England. Very interesting and rare find, I will watch this story with interest.

China and Korea did actually try to invade Japan with overwhelming force, not once but twice but failed. Japan invaded China and Korea succeeded. But then Japan is the only evil nation. Try figuring that out.

ReformedBasher,

Yeah, I'm not sure I would characterize it as anything but a "straight out land grab." The missives from the Khan caused quite a dilema in Kamakura. Under no circumstances were they willing to say "yes," but they didn't dare say "no," either. So they simply said nothing, which bought them a few years to build fortifications and man garisons in Kyushu.

As T_rexmaxytime says, the Kamikaze didn't just show up an wipe the Mongols out. Rather, there was extended fighting in which the Japanese defenders managed to push the invaders back to their ships. This happened twice. Kublai Khan died before he could mount a 3rd invasion, but Japan could never be sure another wouldn't occur. The Kamakura Bakufu actually bankrupted itself trying to maintain the barricades and pay off the samurai manning them. It lead directly to the fall of the Shogunate.

sfjp330 - there are a number of sources to help your education, Wikipedia would be a good start, then I recommend you the links in the bottom of the article as well:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongol_Invasions_of_Japan

@mikihouse

One thing should be apparent to anybody with even a minor understanding of history. Everybody has invaded everybody else and been invaded themselves in turn. Peace is a time to forgive and rebuild but forgetting entirely is naive.

Fascinating. And better comments than usual for the "Youtube of Japan" (JT).

Historians say that Mongolian warships invaded Japan

What, just the ships?