Almost every diver dreams of one day finding an incredible lost historic shipwreck; imagine being part of the team that is discovering the legendary lost fleets of Kublai Khan! Today, diving on some of the ancient wrecks that are believed to be part of the hastily constructed fleet that were sent out in hopes of conquering Japan is possible. Let’s take a closer look.
Kublai Khan’s Mission
Kublai Khan’s climb to power within Mongolian society was fraught with civil war and other forms of dissension, and after a long and difficult conquest of ancient China, the ruler, who was a grandson of Genghis Khan, strove to dominate Japan. He attempted two invasions of Japan, first in 1274, and again in 1281. During the first attempt, he sent an estimated 900 ships and 22,000 troops, and during the second invasion, he mustered what is estimated to be 4,400 ships and 140,000 troops. Both of these missions failed miserably, thanks to a pair of typhoons that buried both navies at the bottom of the sea.
The troops were to have been ferried across the narrow, 110 mile straits of Tsushima, which separate Kyushu from the Korean peninsula. During the first invasion, some of these troops managed to land, overwhelming Japanese Samurai and Gokenin at Tsushima and Iki before moving on to Fukuoka, which was then called Hakata, where more than 6,000 Japanese defenders found that they were no match for the masses of Mongols, who used arrows dipped in poison and exploding shells launched from massive catapults. After a week, the Japanese had retreated inland to Daizafu, while the Mongolian invaders looted and burned Hakata. On October 20th, the fleet departed after the wind shifted, losing as many as 300 ships and 13,500 soldiers as they fled.
Before the second invasion, Kublai Khan sent more envoys to demand subservience from the Japanese emperor, who refused and had the Khan’s ambassadors executed. The Japanese Bakufu strengthened defenses then, building a 12.4 mile long stone wall along the coast in just six months and organizing local fishermen, traders, and others into a defending militia. Meanwhile, Kublai Khan ordered Koryo to build 900 ships and assemble 10,000 troops. He enlisted 3,500 defeated Chinese ships and conscripted 100,000 Chinese troops as well; and sailing separately, the two fleets were ordered to rendezvous at Iki Island.
Instead of waiting for the Chinese though, the Korean forces recaptured Iki from the Japanese, then sailed on to Hakata, where Japanese militia launched a successful counterattack. The defeated Koryo left, but in June, the Chinese contingent arrived and weeks of battle ensued. On the night of July 30th, a sudden storm blew in, sinking most of the invading ships and killing almost all of the 100,000 troops on board. One witness recalled that a person could walk from one point of land to another across a mass of wreckage that completely covered Imari Bay.
This was the final blow; Kublai Khan never again attacked Japan. The Kamikaze winds, sacred protective forces, were believed to have saved Japan twice.
Diving and Researching Kublai Khan’s Fleet
To dive the many wrecks of Imari Bay, you’ll need to obtain permission to accompany working archaeologists at the site. After that, you will simply need to step off the dock, then follow a line that ultimately leads to a depth of about 75 feet. Here, you’ll find clusters of timbers, many of them charred and looking much like they may have when they were first destroyed, seven centuries ago.
This warship was located with ultrasonic equipment, and most of what is being unearthed lies beneath about 3 feet of viscous mud. The archeological team, who hail mostly from Okinawa’s University of the Rykus, have also been investigating a second area around Takashima Island in Nagasaki Prefecture, where sunken Mongolian artifacts have been discovered.
To date, archaeologists have made many incredible discoveries beneath the murky waters here, including bright red fragments of leather armor, beautifully decorated pottery bowls, and even intact Mongolian helmets. Clusters of iron arrow tips and even ceramic tetsuhau bombs have been discovered, some still bearing the remnants of black powder, and confirming the existence of such modern technology in ancient warfare.
The underwater archaeology team working here is led by Kenzo Hayashida, an expert with the Kyushu Okinawa Society for Underwater Archaeology. They are uncovering personal effects belonging to crew members, and even the remnants of the provisions which were to sustain those crews as they attempted to overtake Japan.
The site is far from being fully excavated, but one of the most exciting finds to date includes a massive hull that was constructed with watertight compartments. Made from wide wooden planks fastened together with iron, this warship appears to be more than twice the length of European warships dating to the same period; it is approximately 230 feet long. A massive anchor made from wood and stone weighs more than a ton, and had a stock made from red oak which is 23 feet long.
Nearby, archaeological work around Fukuoka has yielded stone anchor stocks, and in 1980, a local fisherman showed scholars ceramic pots and other items that had been trawled up from the bottom of Imari Bay. One square bronze artifact which was engraved in Phagspa and Chinese was a seal belonging to Mongol commander. Subsequent sonar contacts showed divers where to find stone catapult balls, spear heads, iron swords, stone hand mills for grinding rice and preparing gunpowder, and since 1991, archaeologists have continued to find more and more artifacts.
A second wreck lies in 45 feet of water, buried in thick mud. Tortoiseshell combs, more red leather armor, storage jars, crossbows, more than 80 sabers, and even fragmentary human remains have been found. One poor soul appeared to have been pushed face down into the seabed; today, his pelvis and cranium rest in a conservation laboratory, waiting to be analyzed.
In the event you visit during the off season, when diving is not safe, you can take a trip to the Takashima Museum of Folk History and Culture, where containers of freshwater hold many of the artifacts which have been located to date. Interestingly, most of the artifacts are of Chinese origin, including the wood and granite used for the anchor; showing that Kublai Khan did indeed get most of his troops from China; his invasion was Mongolian primarily in name only, as just one percent of the artifacts can be proven to come from Mongolia.
While the Japanese government has fully funded the excavation to date, there are too many artifacts for the museum to handle, and while conservation efforts are ongoing, their future is uncertain. It is hoped that an international funding effort can help keep both research and conservation efforts moving. Meanwhile, archaeologists are convinced that there are hundreds, but not thousands of wrecks to discover and research, in what is certainly one of the most incredible underwater discoveries to date. Future plans include raising and preserving the entire wreck, and creating a full scale model; much depends on funding as well as the cooperation of nature. Divers interested in assisting can contact Okinawa’s University of the Rykus and the Kyushu Okinawa Society for Underwater Archaeology to learn more.