12:53 - Potted history, introducing the 1281 2nd Mongol Invasion.
Welcome viewers, to the only surviving piece of the old Japanese tv series "Hojo Tokimune," and WHAT a fragment we have : the 1274 one-day failed Mongol/Chinese/Korean Invasion of Japan at Hakata Bay, Kyushu !!
(This happened just after the Mongols took Tsushima, defended heroically by just 80 samurai, something well known to "Ghosts of Tsushima" gamers)
This was the first known use of an exploding gunpowder shell in world history - and you will see this in the video here !
It is easy to chuckle at the obviously motorised boats, and at the shrieking overacting that Japanese actors - both live action and animated - felt obliged to inflict on us back then, BUTT this film is also one STUPENDOUS achievement ! The ships ~~ how the hell did they get together all these realistic 13th Century ships??!! The costuming and armour is so good that you presume the great Stephen Turnbull was the advisor - who knows, the credits sequence is long lost !
My thanks to the 422,000 people who watched this video on my old channel !!
