48 Houjou Tokimune Houjou Tokiyori had a son called Houjou Tokimune. When he was in power as Regent, the country fornd itself in great dander. The Mongols attempted to invade Japan. Throughout history, successive Chinese dynasties were threatened by the northern tribes. Emperor Shi (259-210 BC) of the Qin Dynasty unified the warring states of ancient China and established a thriving centralized nation. Even so, he was so threatened by the northern tribes that he built the Great Wall, and defended it with 300,000 soldiers. The ensuing Han Dynasty China was powerful and prosperous, but equally bothered by the northern tribes. They attacked on moonlit nights, looted wealth, kidnapped and enslaved people. They were so used to cold weather that snow did not deter them. Even Emperor Gao (r. 200-194 BC) was once surrounded by 400,000 northern horsemen and barely escaped. During the Kamakura period in Japan, and the Song Dynasty in China, the Mongols rose in northern China. Their leader, the Great Genghis Khan (1162-1227), was a contemporary of Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159-1189) in Japan. To be exact, Genghis Khan was three years younger than Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Genghis Khan made Mongolia known to the world. He lost his father when he was a boy of 13; during his lifetime, he destroyed more than 40 kingdoms. This interminable lust for conquest was inherited by his successors. Till Khubilai Khan (1215-1294) came into power, they pursued military conquest for a period of 70 to 80 years, acquiring half of the European and Asian continents. They ultimately built a grand empire which reached Korea in the east, Indochina and Java in the south, and engulfed all of eastern Europe in the west. When Khubilai Khan ascended to the throne, Houjou Tokiyori the Regent was 34 years old, and his heir Houjou Tokimune was only 10 years of age. Khubilai Khan imposed heavy taxes everywhere, looting, killing and enslaving those who would not submit. Eventually the eastward Mongolian expansion reached Korea. Korea was harrassed by the Mongols from the time of King Kojong of the Koryo dynasty. One example was a demand made to King Kojong in the 19th year of his reign: 1,000 otter-furs, 300 aristocrat boys, 300 aristocrat girls, and a wide variety of artisans. Every demand was difficult to fill, so the Koreans sent an envoy to try and negotiate. But the envoy was arrested and sent to the far interior. Frightened, the Koreans moved their capital to Kangwha Island. A record tells that in the 41st year of King Kojong's reign, which was the 6th year of Kenchou era in Japan (1254), more than 206,800 Koreans were captured by the Mongols, and many more were killed. The Mongols then changed their tactics. They stopped harassing the Koreans. Instead, using them as their frontline soldiers, they planned an invasion of Japan. The Mongolian envoy arrived at Dazaifu, the Government Headquarters in Kyuushuu, in the 5th year of the Bun'ei era (1268). The envoy delivered their sovereign's latter which said: "All kingdoms of the world are now ruled by Mongolia. Korea tried to resist in the beginning, but now they have surrendered. Japan is a small country. We urge your swift compliance." In real terms, they demanded that Japan become a tributary state, hand over hostages and send offerings. The concluding sentence was: "Would you prefer that we use military force ? Have your King decide." It meant: "Choose surrender, or war." Houjou Tokimune was then 18 years old. Immediately he reported this to the imperial court, and the court decided to ignore the impertinent letter from the Mongols. Meanwhile Houjou Tokimune ordered the nation to prepare for war. In the 6th year of the Bun'ei era (1269), the second envoy came to Japan. A rumor spread that this time, Japan would capitulate. Monk E'an, the superior of Shoudenji-Temple in Kamo of Kyouto was disheatened by this, and said: "Earlier I heard that the Mongols first conquered Korea, then planned to attack Japan, and combining the two armies, invade China and India. Now the Mongols and the Koreans wear similar uniforms. And seeing that the Mongolian envoy are Koreans, the rumor must be true. The plan must be succeeding." The monk prayed to the Buddha that the imperial court "swiftly reject their demand, and preserve the dignity of this divine country." It fact, the imperial court was about to reply. However, the content of the reply was prepared by Sugawara no Naganari, a descendan of Sugawara no Michizane (845-903) the scholar-ststesman of the 9th century. Sugawara no Naganari wrote a fine, dignified letter: "Japan has never heard of Mongolia, nor received communication from it. We have nothing to gain or lose from a relationship. To use force to assert your demands is violent in the extreme. Japan is a divine country, where attack with strategem or military power is not appropriate. Give this carefule consideration." The letter was written in beautiful rhetorical verses, hardly lacking in moral courage as Monk E'an had suspected. But when the draft of the letter was shown to the Bakufu, Houjou Tokimune, furious at the disrespect shown by the Mongolians, suggested: "Making a reply to such insolence is beneath the imperial court. If they threaten force, we shall meet them with force." Thus the letter was never sent to the Mongols. In the 8th year of the Bun'ei era (1271), the Mongols named their empire Yuan. Old records state that "at the height of Yuan's prosperity, there were more than 1,000 tributary kingdoms that sent offerings. It may be said that the entire world obeyed it." They chose Yuan as the name of their empire, signifying that they would unify the world. At this time, Houjou Tokimune was 21 years of age. He understood international developments, and assessed the military strength of Yuan, its purpose, and its movements. In the 10th month of the 11th year of the Bun'ei era (1274), a great Yuan army attacked Japan. More than 900 battleships carried 15,000 Mongolian and Chinese armed men, as well as 8,000 Korean soldiers. First they invaded Tsushima Island. Sou no Sukekuni, Provisional Provincial Constable, fought back with 80 men, and was totally annihilated. The enemy force advanced to Iki Island next. The Provisional Provincial Constable Taira no Kagetaka met them with 100 men, and the next day, facing certain defeat, committed suicide. The Mongols then proceeded to Kyuushuu and went ashore. Junior Assistant Governor of Kyuushuu Headquarters, and the clans Ohtomo, Shimazu, Usuki, Matsura, Kikuchi, Harada and so on defended as best they could, but Mongol weapons and tactics of warfare were so different that the battles were very difficult. However, after a fierce encounter on the night of the 20th, a great storm hit Kyuushuu. Strong wind and rain destroyed and sank the entire enemy fleet, and more than 13,500 Mongolians were drowned. The few suvivors turned around and headed back. In the first year of the Kenji era (1275), an envoy from Yuan was executed, and Houjou Tokimune began to build up the national defence.

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