Mongol ship found near Nagasaki

October 30, 2011 9:21 PM

In Xanadu did Khublai Khan... declare that Japan should be invaded and added to the greatest Empire the world has ever known. In 1281 the Mongols created a fleet of 4400 ships and sailed across the Sea of Japan. Unfortunately, they met the kamikaze, the divine wind (probably a fortuitous typhoon), which destroyed their fleet and saved Japan from conquest. Now, 730 years later, the remnant of one of those ships has been found on the ocean bottom near Nagasaki.
posted by Chocolate Pickle (6 comments total)

I really hope that Rush writes a song about this.

Seriously.
posted by spinifex23 at 9:28 PM on October 30, 2011

As they mention, it happened a second time as well, after which the Mongols just gave up on Japan. They gave up on India because the heat and humidity messed with their high-power bows.
posted by StickyCarpet at 9:28 PM on October 30, 2011

Also, he was really good at rollerdisco.
posted by Sys Rq at 9:29 PM on October 30, 2011

i too, immediately thought of the roller disco (metafilter: there is no excuse for our behaviour), but then the day was saved by Terrance and Phillip throwing up their arms and yelling "TREASURE!"
posted by sexyrobot at 9:38 PM on October 30, 2011

Here's some video of the discovery.
posted by KokuRyu at 9:40 PM on October 30, 2011

double.
posted by empath at 9:42 PM on October 30, 2011