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Battle Of Bun'ei
The , or Bun'ei Campaign, also known as the First Battle of Hakata Bay, was the first attempt by the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty of China to invade Japan. After conquering the Japanese settlements on Tsushima and Iki islands, Kublai Khan's fleet moved on to Japan proper and landed at Hakata Bay, a short distance from Kyūshū's administrative capital of Dazaifu. Despite the superior weapons and tactics of the Yuan forces, those that disembarked at Hakata Bay were grossly outnumbered by the samurai force; the Japanese had been preparing, mobilizing warriors and reinforcing defenses since they heard of the defeats at Tsushima and Iki. The Japanese defenders were aided by major storms which sunk a sizable portion of the Yuan fleets. Ultimately, the invasion attempt was decisively repulsed shortly after the initial landings. The Yuan troops withdrew and took refuge on their ships after only one day of fighting. A typhoon that night, said to be divinely conjured wind, threatened thei ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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'' ("divine wind") is widely used, originating in reference to the two typhoons faced by the Yuan fleets. 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. Background After a series of Mongol invasions of Korea between 1231 and 1281, Goryeo signed a treaty in favor of the Mongols and became a vassal state. Kublai was declared Khagan of the Mongol Empire in 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iki Island
, or the , is an archipelago in the Tsushima Strait, which is administered as the city of Iki in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. The islands have a total area of with a total population of 28,008. Only four (4) of the twenty-three (23) named islands are permanently inhabited. Together with the neighboring islands of Tsushima, they are collectively within the borders of the Iki–Tsushima Quasi-National Park. Geology The Iki Islands are volcanic in origin: they are the exposed and eroded basaltic summit of a massive Quaternary stratovolcano last active over 400,000 years ago. Iki Island is slightly oval in shape, and measures approximately from north-south and from east-west. The highest elevation is , a weakly curved peak with a highest elevation at above sea level. The average height of the land surface is 100 meters above sea level. The archipelago is approximately north-northeast of the Kyushu coast at its closest point and southeast of the Tsushima Islands. History The Ik ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sō Sukekuni
was the Deputy Governor of Tsushima Province during the Kamakura period of Japan. During the first Mongol invasion of Japan in 1274, Sukekuni led the defence of the island despite only having 80 men. He was killed during the battle on November 4, 1274. He was the head of the Sō clan, who were the historical rulers of the Tsushima Island. Life Sukekuni was born as a member of the Sō clan, and later became the head of the clan. During the Invasion of Tsushima by Mongols in 1274, as the deputy governor ( ''jitodai'') of Tsushima Province, Sukekuni had to organize a hasty defence after the fleet was spotted offshore. On that day, the shrine to Hachiman caught on fire, which would have been an omen of bad luck, but Sukekuni interpreted it as an omen of warning. With 80 mounted samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nihon Ōdai Ichiran
, ', is a 17th-century chronicle of the serial reigns of Japanese emperors with brief notes about some of the noteworthy events or other happenings. According to the 1871 edition of the ''American Cyclopaedia'', the 1834 French translation of ''Nihon Ōdai Ichiran'' was one of very few books about Japan available in the Western world. Prepared under the patronage of the ''tairō'' Sakai Tadakatsu The material selected for inclusion in the narrative reflects the perspective of its original Japanese author and his samurai patron, the ''tairō'' Sakai Tadakatsu, who was ''daimyō'' of the Obama Domain of Wakasa Province. It was the first book of its type to be brought from Japan to Europe, and was translated into French as "''Nipon o daï itsi ran''". Dutch Orientalist and scholar Isaac Titsingh brought the seven volumes of ''Nihon Ōdai Ichiran'' with him when he returned to Europe in 1797 after twenty years in the Far East. All these books were lost in the turmoil of the N ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hakozaki Shrine
is a Shintō shrine in Fukuoka .Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1962). ''Studies in Shinto and Shrines,'' p. 339. History Hakozaki Shrine was founded in 923, with the transfer of the spirit of the ''kami Hachiman'' from Daibu Hachiman Shrine in what is Honami Commandry, Chikuzen Province in Kyūshū. During the first Mongol invasion on November 19, 1274 (''Bun'ei 11, 20th day of the 10th month''), the Japanese defenders were pushed back from the several landing sites. In the ensuing skirmishes, the shrine was burned to the ground. When the shrine was reconstructed, a calligraphy ''Tekikoku kōfuku'' (敵国降伏; surrender of the enemy nation) was put on the tower gate. The calligraphy was written by Emperor Daigo, dedicated by Emperor Daijo Kameyama as a supplication to Hachiman to defeat invaders. The shrine is highly ranked among the many shrines in Japan. It was listed in ''Engishiki-jinmyōchō'' (延喜式神名帳) edited in 927. In 11th or 12th century, the shrine ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phalanx Formation
The phalanx ( grc, φάλαγξ; plural phalanxes or phalanges, , ) was a rectangular mass military formation, usually composed entirely of heavy infantry armed with spears, pikes, sarissas, or similar pole weapons. The term is particularly used to describe the use of this formation in ancient Greek warfare, although the ancient Greek writers used it to also describe any massed infantry formation, regardless of its equipment. Arrian uses the term in his ''Array against the Alans'' when he refers to his legions. In Greek texts, the phalanx may be deployed for battle, on the march, or even camped, thus describing the mass of infantry or cavalry that would deploy in line during battle. They marched forward as one entity. The term itself, as used today, does not refer to a distinctive military unit or division (e.g., the Roman legion or the contemporary Western-type battalion), but to the type of formation of an army's troops. Therefore, this term does not indicate a standard comb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wards Of Japan
A is a subdivision of the cities of Japan that are large enough to have been City designated by government ordinance, designated by government ordinance. Chapter 17: Government System (Retrieved on July 4, 2009) Wards are used to subdivide each City designated by government ordinance (Japan), city designated by government ordinance ("designated city"). The Special wards of Tokyo, 23 special wards of Tokyo Metropolis have a municipality, municipal status, and are not the same as other entities referred to as ''ku'', although their Tokyo City, predecessors were. Wards are local government, local entities directly controlled by the municipal government. They handle administrative functions such as ''koseki'' regi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
is a ward of the city of Fukuoka in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Many of Fukuoka Prefecture and Fukuoka City's principal government, commercial, retail and entertainment establishments are located in the district. Hakata-ku is also the location of Fukuoka's main train station, Hakata Station, Fukuoka Airport and the Hakata Port international passenger ship terminal. Geography Hakata-ku is a ward of Fukuoka City located on its eastern edge. It is 31.47 km2 with a population of 206,629 (current January 1, 2009). Much of the ward consists of low-lying plains beside the . The northwestern end of the ward faces Hakata Bay, which includes both ferry and international cruise ship terminals . The northeast end of the ward is slightly elevated, and is named , with nearby Fukuoka Airport. Around Hakata Station is downtown; is the main dining and entertainment district of the ward along the . Hakata-ku also houses the Fukuoka Prefectural office. Economy Many Japanese companies have ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kamikaze (typhoon)
The kamikaze ( ja, 神風, ) were two winds or storms that are said to have saved Japan from two Mongol fleets under Kublai Khan. These fleets attacked Japan in 1274 and again in 1281. Due to the growth of Zen Buddhism among Samurai at the time, these were the first events where the typhoons were described as "divine wind" as much by their timing as by their force. Since Man'yōshū, the word ''kamikaze'' has been used as a ''Makurakotoba'' of waka introducing Ise Grand Shrine. History The latter fleet, composed of "more than four thousand ships bearing nearly 140,000 men", is said to have been the largest attempted naval invasion in history whose scale was only recently eclipsed in modern times by the D-Day invasion of allied forces into Normandy in 1944. The size of the fleet is often disputed by modern historians, however. Events In the first invasion, the Mongols successfully conquered the Japanese settlements on Tsushima and Iki islands. When they landed on Hakata Bay, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Typhoon
A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for almost one-third of the world's annual tropical cyclones. For organizational purposes, the northern Pacific Ocean is divided into three regions: the eastern (North America to 140°W), central (140°W to 180°), and western (180° to 100°E). The Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC) for tropical cyclone forecasts is in Japan, with other tropical cyclone warning centers for the northwest Pacific in Hawaii (the Joint Typhoon Warning Center), the Philippines, and Hong Kong. Although the RSMC names each system, the main name list itself is coordinated among 18 countries that have territories threatened by typhoons each year. Within most of the northwestern Pacific, there are no official typhoon seasons as tropical cyclones form thr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Samurai
were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They had high prestige and special privileges such as wearing two swords and ''Kiri-sute gomen'' (right to kill anyone of a lower class in certain situations). They cultivated the '' bushido'' codes of martial virtues, indifference to pain, and unflinching loyalty, engaging in many local battles. Though they had predecessors in earlier military and administrative officers, the samurai truly emerged during the Kamakura shogunate, ruling from 1185 to 1333. They became the ruling political class, with significant power but also significant responsibility. During the 13th century, the samurai proved themselves as adept warriors against the invading Mongols. During the peaceful Edo period (1603 to 1868), they became the stewards and chamberlains of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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