During the Mongolian invasions of Japan, what were the Mongol boats mostly stopped by?

The story behind the answer

Typhoons is correct because massive storms in 1274 and 1281 shattered Kublai Khan’s invasion fleets off Japan’s coast. While Japanese samurai and fortifications fought fiercely, the decisive blows came from these Pacific cyclones, which wrecked hundreds of ships—many hastily built and ill-suited for open-sea conditions—drowning tens of thousands of Mongol, Chinese, and Korean soldiers.

The Japanese called these storms kamikaze, or “divine wind,” believing the gods had protected their islands. This term was later repurposed in World War II. To remember: typhoons are the Pacific’s version of hurricanes—think “T for Typhoon, T for Tokyo”—making them the right choice over tornadoes. The “divine wind” legend highlights how weather can shape the fate of empires.