►IN A NUTSHELL: The “Samurai of Christ” — ⛨Blessed Justus “Ukon” Takayama of Manila (高山右近, b. 1552 Takayama Village, Toyono-cho, Osaka – ♰1615 Intramuros, Manila) — was baptized on June 1, 1563 (at age 11); became Daimyo (feudal governor) of Takatsuki at 21; transferred as Daimyo of Akashi in 1585; was stripped of his Akashi domain on June 24, 1587 when he refused to renounce his Catholic Faith; became a masterless Samurai for a year, until he served as Guest-General in the domain of Lord Toshiie Maeda. Ordered exiled on Feb. 14, 1614, Takayama, his family and 350 other exiles arrived in Manila Dec. 21, 1614. Only 44 days after his arrival, he died “of a tropical ailment” on February 3, 1615. Lord Takayama was accorded a state funeral.

●[1]. TAKAYAMA’S NAME IN PHILIPPINE HISTORICAL RECORDS: In Jesuit archives, and in Philippine documents (such as B&R), Takayama was identified as “Dom Justo Ucondono.”
“Ukon” is not a name, but an honorific title, derived from the Heian era’s “Ukonoefu” (Lieutenant of the Right Division of Inner Palace Guards), which was among many obscure court titles that was a fad among the samurai of that period.

It became an endearing nickname — akin to the Filipino endearment for a beloved boss: In today’s lingo, simply “Bossing.”

●[2]. BLESSED TAKAYAMA: THE PHILIPPINE CHURCH’S FIRST ‘SERVANT OF GOD’ (1634): The Vatican identifies Dom Justo “Ukon” Takayama as a “layperson…from Japan [who] died from the hatred of the Faith on Feb. 3, 1615 in Manila, Philippines” (CCS).

The Japanese-born Manila Catholic was proposed for sainthood at the Vatican by the Manila Archdiocese on Oct. 5, 1634, making Takayama the Philippine Church’s first ●“Servant of God.”

●[3]. THE PHRASE ‘OF MANILA’ IS A NECESSARY APPENDAGE:

Church rubrics rule that “where a saint dies is where he is born to Heaven.”
Mother Teresa was born in Albania, but is known as “St. Teresa of Kolkata” as that is where she died.

●[4]. ARRIVAL OF TAKAYAMA’S EXILE BOAT IN 1614 WAS THE FIRST CHRISTIAN EXODUS FROM JAPAN WHICH CONTINUED TILL 1868.

For the next 254 years, there were annual arrivals who were resettled in the San Mguel and Paco/Dilao districts of Manila.

●[5]. TAKAYAMA – PILLAR OF EARLY JESUIT MISSION IN JAPAN:

The Jesuit journal “La Civilta Cattolica” says, in ●“Justus Takayama Ukon: The Great Japanese Missionary of the 16th Century”: “Justus Takayama Ukon is remembered and revered in Japan not only as a martyr, but also as a great witness to the Christian faith, which he practiced in connection with the mission of the Society of Jesus.

“He was the greatest Japanese missionary of the 16th century because of how he lived the Christian faith with the tenacity, rigor and loyalty that were typical of the Japanese people, promoting the inculturation of Christianity through the witness of his life, which eventually led to his dying while in exile. Already at the time of his death people were talking of him as though he were a saint.

“His witness of faith was, and is, convincing. Just as his life has led many to the Gospel, so can the blood of his martyrdom continue to be “the seed of Christians.”

●[6]. BUILDER OF CHURCHES AND A SEMINARY
In Takatsuki, Lord Justo Ukon Takayama (高山右近) used his resources to build churches, oratorios and a seminary for the Jesuits – to the chagrin of the Buddhist advisers of Chancellor Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豐臣 秀吉/豊臣 秀吉, 1537 – 1598).

In 1585, Ukon was reshuffled to the three-times larger domain of Akashi-shi (明石市) located in southern Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, on the Seto Inland Sea west of Kobe.

Here, he built another church.

●[7]. DEVOTEE OF THE HOLY ROSARY

During the period in which Blessed Justus Takayama Ukon lived, the presence of Jesuit priests and the availability of daily Mass could be quite limited. This context is crucial to understand the challenges he faced.

Takayama Ukon’s response to this challenge was to develop a profound devotion to the Holy Rosary. This devotional practice became a central aspect of his spiritual life.

It provided a way to connect with their faith and maintain their devotion.

●[8]. EXPONENT OF CHRISTIAN CHARITY FOR FELLOWMEN

Takayama played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Misericordia Brotherhood in Nagasaki, Japan. (“A Dictionary of Japanese Christian History” by John W. Fenton, 1991)

The Misericordia Brotherhood was a lay Catholic organization that focused on charitable works, including caring for widows, sailors, slaves, orphans, and the indigent. Their main social services involved providing dowries, charity, prison relief, hospital treatment, and burial services.

Ukon’s involvement in the Misericordia Brotherhood reflected his commitment to the Christian faith and his dedication to helping others. (“Japanese Catholics: Fifty Biographies” by Paul Glynn, 1999)

●[9]. DEVELOPER AND PATRON OF THE FIRST TWO ECCLESIAL COMMUNUTIES IN JAPAN

Lord Takayama invited Christian Samurai who had lost their positions because of their Catholic religion to join him in his estate in the Noto Peninsula. He gathered some 600 Kirishitan Samurai and their families in two settlements in Shika-machi (志賀町) and Shio-machi (志雄町) in Hakui District, Ishikawa Prefecture.

Takayama’s ecclesial communities were allowed to practice their Christian religion by a tolerant Lord Toshiee Maeda (前田 利家, 1538 – April 27, 1599), whose daughter was herself a baptized Catholic.

The two settlements were served by a Jesuit priest and a Brother from 1587-1614. In June 1616, when Mrs. Justa Takayama retuned to Shika-machi to bury a finger of Takayama in Japanese soil, a Jesuit priest was still stationed there to report the event.

●[10]. TAKAYAMA: EPITOME OF THE JAPANESE SPIRIT — (Masaharu Anesaki, “History of Japanese Religion”)

In the context of the Japanese spirit. Anesaki’s statement underscores the profound impact that Takayama Ukon had on both Christianity in Japan and the broader cultural and historical landscape of the country.
Takayama Ukon’s conversion to Christianity and his unwavering faith in the face of adversity exemplify the idea of spiritual resilience in Japanese culture. (Reference: “Justus Ukon Takayama” by Paul Glynn)
His dedication to his faith and his willingness to sacrifice for it embody the concept of “Yamato-damashii,” or the Japanese spirit of loyalty and honor. (Reference: “The Japanese and Christianity” by Bernard Thierry)

●[11]. MASTER OF JAPANESE ARTS

>>>[11a]. RENOWNED TEA MASTER
Takayama Ukon was a prized pupil of ●Sen no Rikyū (1522-1591), who is considered the historical figure with the most profound influence on the development of “Chanoyu.”
Ukon, who was one of the celebrated “Rikyushichitetsu” (Rikyu’s Seven), was credited with refining the tea ceremony into a serene celebration, with ritual movements “almost like a Mass.”
The spirit of the art of tea – characterized by the qualities of harmony, reverence, purity, and tranquility — found in Ukon its Christian transfiguration.
As a tea-master, Ukon was known as ●“Minami-no-Bô Takayama Hida no-kami.” (“The Christian Century in Japan, 1549-1650” by Charles Ralph Boxer).

>>>[11B]. POET: Takayama was known for his proficiency in traditional Japanese poetry forms, such as *haiku, *waka, and *renga.

Blessed Justus Takayama Ukon’s mastery of Japanese arts is a fascinating aspect of his life and a testament to his cultural versatility. (“Takayama Ukon: A Samurai’s Journey to Christ” by Paul Glynn (2016), p. 75); “Takayama Ukon: The Man and His Times” by Mikio Oishi (2003), p. 112.

>>>[11c]. TAKAYAMA UKON – FOOD TRENDSETTER IN KANAZAWA
Some Japanese food historians credit Takayama Ukon with concocting the recipe for “Jibuni” [治部煮] – the most well-known winter dish of the Kaga region, consisting of duck simmered in a flavorful broth and accompanied with vegetables.
Some say the dish was influenced by the Portuguese. The only Portuguese in the Hokuriku region were the Jesuit missionaries who were Ukon’s friends.

Takayama Ukon’s proficiency in these traditional Japanese arts, along with his Christian faith, highlights the complex and multifaceted nature of his identity as a Christian samurai in Japan during a period of significant historical and religious change.

●[12]. TAKAYAMA HAD A DISTINGUISHED BATTLE RECORD: Lord Takayama’s battles are written about in James Murdoch, “A History of Japan” (1903).
Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu (r. 1603-1605; d. 1616) — the first of the Tokugawa shoguns who ruled Japan till 1868 — remarked: “In Ukon’s hands 1,000 soldiers would be worth more than 10,000 in the hands of whosoever else.”

●[13]. TARGET OF RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION (1587-1614); STRIPPED OF ALL HIS POSSESSIONS IN 1587

Because of his prominent role in the emerging Christian Church of Japan, Ukon was particularly targeted by his persecutors from as early as 1587. His troubles started on July 24-25, 1587 when he received a message from Hideyoshi asking him to give up his faith or lose his fief and position in the latter’s army.
He replied that while he had made an oath of allegiance to Hideyoshi, he was prepared to give up wealth, position and power to follow a greater lord, Jesus Christ.

Stripped of his Akashi domain, he became a ronin — a masterless samurai — who found protection with a Christian Daimyo, Admiral Augustine Konishi Yukinaga who, despite being a Christian, was needed by Hideyoshi to realize his invasion of Korea.

With the tacit consent of Hideyoshi, Ukon was hired as a guest-general by Kaga Daimyo Toshiee Maeda, whose domain encompassed Etchū, Kaga, and Noto provinces. Takayama and 600 other masterless Christian samurai served the Maeda from 1587 till 1614 when he was exiled to the Philippines.

●[14]. EVEN IN DOMESTIC EXILE, TAKAYAMA WAS RECIPIENT OF A PAPAL BESSING
Pope Sixtus V (r. 1585 – Aug. 27, 1590) wrote Ukon a “Papal Breve” with his Apostolic Blessings on April 24, 1590 when he learned that Ukon had been stripped of his feudal domain in Akashi (in Hyogo Prefecture) for refusing to abjure his Christian faith.

●[15]. EXILE TO MANILA:

After receiving the final exile edict of February 1614, deporting him to either Macau or Manila, Takayama left Kanazawa on Feb. 15, 1614, and after a 150-day journey in the winter, he arrived in Nagasaki where he boarded a boat for Manila on Nov. 8, 1614.

After a 43-day voyage – instead of the normal 3-week sail – Takayama arrived in Manila on Dec. 21, 1614, having endured a total 193 days on the journey of exile.

Justo Ucondono was accompanied by 350 Catholic deportees, including: his wife Dona Justa Kuroda Takayama (1563-?), a daughter, Lucia Takayama Yokoyama (married to Yokoyama Daizen Yasuharu, 1590-1645, a general of the Maeda clan); five grandchildren (the eldest 16, the youngest almost eight); and *23 Jesuits (eight Jesuit fathers and 15 Jesuit brothers), *four Franciscan fathers, *two Dominican fathers, *two Augustinian fathers, and &*two secular fathers, *several seminarians including ●Blessed Diego Yuki Ryosetsu (1573-1620; ordained at Colegio de San Jose, 1615), *the 15 nuns (14 Japanese, one Korean) of the Jesuit-chaplained ●“Beatas de Meaco” or “Miyako no Bikuni” (Nuns of Kyoto, 1615-1656), *about 100 Japanese catechists, and two dozen sons and daughters of Japanese noble families.

●[16]. GUARDIAN OF THE MARIAN ICON ‘LA JAPONA’

Two Dominicans were the actual caretakers of “Our Lady of the Holy Rosary” (La Japona). But as they had no cabins of their own, they implored Takayama to shelter her in his cabin.

Takayama was blessed by his assignment and arranged for his five grandsons to take turns in leading the praying of the Rosary during the 43 days at sea.

“La Japona” is enshrined to this day at the Santo Domingo Church in Quezon City.

.●[17]. DEATH AFTER 44 DAYS IN MANILA

Towards the end of January 1615, Takayama fell ill with “a tropical ailment.” Four days later, on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 1615 — only 44 days after his arrival in Manila on Sunday, Dec. 21, 1614 — Takayama died, with his Father-Confessor, Padre Pedro Morejon, SJ, anf his family at his bedside.

After nine days’ wake held at various churches in Intramuros, Takayama was buried near the High Altar of the Jesuit church in Intramuros – Santa Ana Church – at the PLM /Jesuit Compound

●[18]. TAKAYAMA DIED IN BED — BUT STILL A MARTYR

Ukon’s death while in exile in Manila could at first glance look like a natural death, and this could put into question its being valued as martyrdom. The deeper assessment of what comes with exile, of the difficulties to which the Servant of God was exposed and the hardships that weakened him progressively, clearly show us instead that his death was caused by the suffering and the difficulties that were results of persecution.

All the available documents, in fact, are in agreement in the affirmation that it was determined by the hardships suffered during his exile.

In addition to the ancient documents that speak of his exile and of his death, the fact remains that Ukon, from the beginning, had been venerated not only as a holy man, but also as a martyr who offered his very life for Jesus Christ, not having renounced in any way the Christian faith.

His witness of faith was, and is, convincing.

Just as his life has led many to the Gospel, so can the blood of his martyrdom continue to be “the seed of Christians.”

●[19]. ‘BRIDGE OF FAITH AND MARTYRDOM’ LINKS bl. JUSTO ‘UKON’ TAKAYAMA (1552-1615), WHO DIED IN MANILA IN 1615, WITH SAN LORENZO RUIZ (1594-1637), FILIPINO PROTOMARTYR, WHO DIED IN NAGASAKI IN 1637.

In a Eucharistic Mass with Japanese Catholics in Kobe, Japan on Feb. 3, 2016, then-Manila Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle said the Philippines, especially Manila, and Japan are linked through a “bridge of faith and martyrdom.”

●[20]. TAKAYAMA – ‘AN EXTRAORDINARY WITNESS OF THE FAITH’

Cardinal Angelo Amato, then-Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, described Blessed Takayama as “an extraordinary witness of the Christian f­aith in difficult times of opposition and persecution.” ◘

By Dr. Ernesto A. de Pedro, PhD
Takayama Trustee