Which 1281 invasion was repelled when a typhoon devastated Kublai Khan’s fleet near Japan?

The Second Mongol invasion of Japan in 1281 was repelled after a typhoon devastated Kublai Khan’s fleet.

The Yuan dynasty assembled a huge expedition from China and Korea, known in Japanese history as the second invasion. Japanese defenders had spent the years after the 1274 attack strengthening coastal defenses, including a stone wall around parts of Hakata Bay.

The invaders landed and fought several engagements, but Japanese resistance prevented them from securing a lasting foothold. After months of combat, a powerful storm struck the fleet in late summer. Many ships were wrecked, and the expedition withdrew or was destroyed.

Japanese tradition called the storm a kamikaze, or “divine wind.” The storm was important, but it did not act alone: fortifications, local warriors, naval resistance, and the logistical problems of maintaining a large overseas army also weakened the invasion.