Kamikaze (typhoon)

The kamikaze (Japanese: 神風, lit. 'divine wind') were special winds or storms that people believed saved Japan from two big attacks by Mongol fleets led by Kublai Khan in 1274 and 1281. These huge storms came when the ships were near Japan, helping to stop the invaders. Because of this, people in Japan called these powerful typhoons the "divine wind" because they arrived just when they were needed.

At that time, many Samurai followed Zen Buddhism, and these storms were described in a special way for the first time. The word kamikaze has been used in Japanese poetry and writing for a long time, even before these events, from an old book called the Man'yōshū. It was used as a beautiful word to talk about the Ise Grand Shrine. In Japanese, kamikaze is one way to say the word, while an older way sounds more like a word from Chinese.

History

The second fleet was very large, with thousands of ships and many sailors. It was said to be one of the biggest naval invasions ever until the D-Day invasion of allied forces into Normandy in 1944. Some historians today debate how big the fleet really was.

Events

In 1274, ships from Mongolia tried to attack Japan. They landed at Hakata Bay but faced strong resistance. A big storm, called a typhoon, hit the ships, causing many to sink.

Seven years later, in 1281, the Mongols tried again with more ships. The Japanese had built walls for protection. After waiting for months, a huge typhoon destroyed most of the ships. The Japanese called this storm "kamikaze," meaning "divine wind," because it helped protect them. The Mongols never attacked Japan again after this.

In myth

In old Japanese stories, people thought the god Raijin sent storms to stop the Mongols. Some stories say the gods Fūjin, Ryūjin, or Hachiman caused these strong winds called kamikaze.

As a metaphor

The word kamikaze became well-known during World War II. Some Japanese pilots flew their planes into enemy ships. People thought these pilots acted like the "Divine Wind" to help protect their country. This is why many people think of kamikaze this way today.