Playing cards and dice found in a shipwreck during the Mongol invasion of Japan

A new shipwreck from the 13th century came to light off the coast of Takashima Island, in Japan. This is the third vessel located in that area, after the findings of 2011 and 2015. Researchers link it to the battle of Koan in 1281, when the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty tried to invade the Japanese archipelago.

The ship was around 30 meters long and had living spaces. Specialists believe that it functioned as the mother ship of the invading fleet. Among the recovered objects, five dice and 29 small cards used to play koppai, a pastime of Chinese origin, stand

out.

Archaeology professor Yoshifumi Ikeda, from Kokugakuin University, led the research together with the Matsuura municipal government. As he explained, “koppai cards, considered forerunners of mahjong tiles, were probably used

for recreation.”

“The findings offer a look at life during the war,” Ikeda added. These everyday objects allow us to imagine how the crew members were trying to alleviate the tension of a military campaign in

foreign waters.

A ship from the invading fleet The

three ships sunk off Takashima were part of the same historic episode. In 1281, Kublai Khan's forces launched a naval offensive against Japan that ended in disaster, in part because of storms that

the Japanese called kamikaze.

The ship now studied stands out for its size and for the presence of cabins. This characteristic reinforces the hypothesis that it was a command or logistical support ship within the Yuan fleet. The remains are found in relatively accessible waters, which made it easier to recover small and fragile objects

.

Koppai cards are especially valuable. These are tiny pieces that, according to researchers, anticipate the mahjong tile system. Their presence on board suggests that sailors and soldiers were looking for ways to entertain themselves during long days at

sea.

The dice complete the set of playful elements. Together, these findings show a little-known aspect of medieval military campaigns: the need for leisure even in the midst of a failed invasion

.

Daily life in times of war

Until now, most studies on the Mongol invasions of Japan focused on military aspects and on the causes of failure. The discovery of game objects shifts our gaze to the human experience of those who traveled in those ships

.

Ikeda stressed that these materials allow us to reconstruct scenes of life on board. The charts and the dice are not weapons or navigation tools: they are testimonies of moments of rest shared between the crew

.

The joint investigation between the university and local authorities in Matsuura continues. It is expected that future work will provide more information on the construction of the ship and on the fate of its occupants. For now, the 29 cards and the five dice already offer a concrete and close image of that attempt at conquest.

The finding adds to a growing body of archaeological evidence about Kublai Khan's fleet. Each new object recovered from the seabed helps to complete the story of one of the largest naval operations of the 13th century and its dramatic end off the Japanese coast

.