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Japan: Mongol invasion of Japan; Japanese samurai boarding Mongol ships in 1281.

Japan: Mongol invasion of Japan; Japanese samurai boarding Mongol ships in 1281.

The Mongol invasions of Japan of 1274 and 1281 were major military invasions undertaken by Kublai Khan to conquer the Japanese islands after the submission of Korea. Despite their ultimate failure, the invasion attempts are of historical importance, because they set a limit on Mongol expansion, and rank as nation-defining events in Japanese history. The Japanese were successful, in part because the Mongols lost up to 75% of their troops and supplies as a result of major storms at sea. These were named 'kamikaze' or divine winds by the Japanese.

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