Mongol fleet at Takashima
Off Takashima island, Imari Bay, Nagasaki, Japan
What happened
Kublai Khan, the Mongol ruler of China, tried to invade Japan twice, in 1274 and in 1281. In 1281, part of his huge fleet was anchored near Takashima island, at the mouth of Imari Bay, when a powerful typhoon struck. The storm wrecked many of the ships, and the invasion failed.
Why it matters
The typhoon helped protect Japan from invasion, and the Japanese later called it a 'divine wind'. The seabed at Takashima is one of the best places in the world to study a medieval invasion fleet.
What came next
Researchers have explored the site since 1980 and found two ships, the second in 2015. In 2012, it became the first underwater site in Japan to be named a National Historic Site.
Did you know?
Divers found a bronze seal with writing in Mongol script, thought to have belonged to a commander in the fleet.
Timeline
- 1274The first Mongol invasion of Japan fails.
- 1281A typhoon wrecks much of the second invasion fleet near Takashima.
- 1980University researchers begin exploring the seabed.
- 2012The seabed becomes Japan's first underwater National Historic Site.
- 2015A second ship, about 20 metres long, is found.