The Battle of Bun'ei (文永の役, bun'ei no eki), also known as the First Battle of Hakata Bay was the first attempt by the Mongols to invade Japan. After conquering Tsushima and Iki, Kublai Khan's fleet moved on to Japan proper, landing at Hakata Bay, a short distance from Kyushu's administrative capital of Dazaifu. Despite superior weapons and tactics, which had allowed them to create one of the largest empires the world has ever seen, the Mongols landing 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 losses of Tsushima and Iki. The Mongols were forced to retreat after only one day of fighting, and a storm that night threatened their ships, persuading them to return to Korea. November 20 is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events May 7 - In France the Second Council of Lyons opens to consider the condition of the Holy Land and to agree to a union with the Byzantine church. ... Masanobu Fukuoka, author of The One Straw Revolution, is the pioneer of No Till grain growing (see also permaculture) Fukuoka is also the name of two towns in Japan, Fukuoka, Toyama (in Toyama Prefecture) and Fukuoka, Gifu (in Gifu Prefecture) Central Fukuoka View of Momochi, Fukuoka. ... Kyushu region, Japan Kyūshū (九州) is the third largest island of Japan and most southerly and westerly of the four main islands. ... The Kamakura shogunate (鎌倉幕府) was a feudal military dictatorship ruled by the shoguns from 1185 to 1333. ... Honorary guard of Mongolia. ... Hojo Tokimune (北条 時宗 1251-84) is the 8th regent of the Kamakura shogunate (r. ... Kublai Khan or Khubilai Khan (1215 - 1294), Mongol military leader, was Khan (1260-1294) of the Mongol Empire and founder and first Emperor (1279-1294) of the Yuan Dynasty. ... Honorary guard of Mongolia. ... Tsushima is the name of several places in Japan: Tsushima, Aichi Tsushima, Nagasaki Tsushima province Tsushima Strait This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The article incorporates text from OpenHistory. ... Kublai Khan or Khubilai Khan (1215 - 1294), Mongol military leader, was Khan (1260-1294) of the Mongol Empire and founder and first Emperor (1279-1294) of the Yuan Dynasty. ... Kyushu region, Japan Kyūshū (九州) is the third largest island of Japan and most southerly and westerly of the four main islands. ... Categories: Cities in Fukuoka Prefecture | Japan-related stubs ...

The Battle

After landing in the bay, the Mongol force quickly overtook the town of Hakata, but were engaged by a number of samurai soon afterwards. At first, these samurai were helplessly outmatched; the samurai were used to single combat, and were rather disorganized compared to the invaders. The Mongols fought on horseback, firing heavy volleys of arrows into the group of Japanese. They also wielded a form of firecracker catapult, and their infantry used phalanx-like tactics, holding off the samurai with their shields and spears. Though unable to definitively defeat the Mongols, the Japanese fought hard, inflicting heavy casualties. Phalanx (Greek word from phalangos, meaning line of battle) can refer to: phalanx formation in ancient warfare. ...

Despite their initial victories, the Mongols did not pursue the samurai further inland to the defenses at Dazaifu. Most likely this was as a result of their unfamiliarity with the terrain, the expectation of Japanese reinforcements, and the heavy losses already suffered. This group, which some theorize to have been a reconnaisance group and not the true invasion force, returned to their ships, intending perhaps to regroup and attack again the following day. Categories: Cities in Fukuoka Prefecture | Japan-related stubs ...

That night, the Mongols lost roughly one-third of their force in a storm. They retreated back to Korea, presumably at the prodding of their Korean sailors and captains.

See Also

• Battle of Kouan- the second invasion attempt by the Mongols, in 1281.

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Reference

• Davis, Paul K. (1999). "100 Decisive Battles: From Ancient Times to the Present." Oxford: Oxford University Press.