[3] Kublai sent several emissaries, in 1268, demanding that the "king" of Japan submit to the Empire, under its mandate from Eternal Heaven.

From there they sailed to Hakata Bay, which resulted in the Battle of Bun'ei, where what the Japanese were later to call a kamikaze ("divine wind") wrecked the invading forces in their ships.

and after the rise of Japan to world power status in the early 20th century, the Mongolian government of Bogd Khan sent emissaries requesting formal diplomatic recognition to various world powers, including the Internal Affairs Minister, Da Lam Tserenchimed, who was sent to Japan in 1913.

[5] This was done following the invitation and attendance of Mongolia to the Expo '70, held in Osaka, which revealed a strong desire to normalise relations on both sides.

Following this, the Central Committee of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party voted against raising the issue of war reparations with Japan, thus leading to an exchange of diplomats and restoring of formal relations.

Besides Japanese being one of the most commonly studied foreign language in Mongolia, cultural exports from Japan such as anime, music and food have made an impact on modern Mongolian society.