Hakata/Fukuoka March 10

The snow from Hiroshima followed us to our port call in Hakata. By this time, the winds had increased to over 60 knots, delaying our arrival in Hakata by about two hours. Most of the day in port, we experienced heavy winds and blowing snow. In 1281, Kublai Khan in an effort to conquer Japan, launched an attack on Hakata. While crossing the Sea of Japan, his ships were met by a strong storm, which sunk many ships and forced him to retreat. This was known by the Japanese as the Kamikaze (the divine wind). We felt a little of the divine wind today as we approached and departed from Hakata.