The Mongol Invasions: An Empire Crosses the Sea
歴史事件
A little more than 250 years after the Toi invasion, in 1274, Japan faced a threat on an entirely different scale. The Mongol Empire, which by then controlled much of Eurasia, launched an invasion of Japan together with forces from Goryeo (the Battle of Bun'ei). After subduing Tsushima and Iki, the Mongol fleet pushed on to Hakata Bay, where fierce fighting with Kyushu's warrior bands ultimately forced a withdrawal. The Mongols continued to demand Japan's submission, and in 1281 they sent an even larger force in a second invasion (the Battle of Koan). In the years between the two invasions, the Kamakura shogunate and Kyushu's warriors built a stone wall along the shore of Hakata Bay to block any landing. The Genko Boirui that still stands today at Ikinomatsubara is a surviving section of that wall. During the 1281 invasion, this wall significantly hindered the Mongols' attempt to land, forcing their fleet into a prolonged standoff at sea — a standoff that ended, with a storm also playing a part, in their retreat. Where the Toi invasion had been a defensive battle fought by Kyushu alone, the Mongol invasions became a national defense effort involving the entire Kamakura shogunate.
Characters
Hojo Tokimune
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Ikinomatsubara Genko Boirui (Mongol Invasion Defense Wall)
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