Author: Ernestodepedro

Introduction: The Arc of a Christian Samurai’s Campaigns

Blessed Justus (Justo) Takayama Ukon’s military life spanned the turbulent decades of the Sengoku age, from the collapse of his family’s Sawa stronghold in his childhood to his final service as a senior retainer of the Maeda clan on the eve of Sekigahara. His career mirrors the rise and fall of Japan’s warring states: early defeats that forged resilience, youthful victories that secured his lordship, celebrated triumphs at Yamazaki that cemented his reputation, and one bitter defeat at Shizugatake that cost him dearly in blood and kin.

Unlike many daimyo of his era, Ukon’s forces bore the distinctive banner of the Cross, reflecting the faith that shaped his decisions on and off the field. Yet his loyalty to Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and finally the Maeda lords shows that he remained a consummate military professional even as his Christianity drew suspicion and persecution.

What follows is a chronological account of eleven battles and campaigns in which Ukon took part — a narrative of valor, loss, and perseverance. From the ashes of Sawa to the walls of Daishōji, the battles trace the path of a samurai who fought under the shadow of the Cross until exile carried him from Japan to Manila, where he died a martyr in faith.

The Battles

❖ 1. Fall of Sawa Castle (c. 1565–1567)

As a child, Ukon witnessed his first battlefield disaster when his father, Takayama Tomoteru (高山友照), lost Sawa Castle (沢城) in Settsu during the turbulent wars between Matsunaga Hisahide and the Miyoshi clan. Though Ukon was not yet a combatant, this family defeat marked the beginning of his exposure to warfare and political instability.
Source: 高槻市史; Settsu annal entries on Sawa Castle.

❖ 2. Battle of Shiraikawara (白井河原の戦い, 1571)

In his adolescence, Ukon stood in the orbit of his father’s ally, Wada Koremasa (和田惟政). At the battle of Shiraikawara near Takatsuki, Wada was defeated and killed by the Araki–Nakagawa coalition. Ukon was too junior to command, but he saw how swiftly fortunes could change when a patron’s line was extinguished.
Source: “白井河原の戦い,” JP gazetteer; record of Wada Koremasa’s defeat.

❖ 3. Takatsuki Castle Struggle (高槻城, 1573)

By age 21, Ukon fought his first independent action. With his father, he challenged Wada Korenaga, son of the fallen Koremasa, in a skirmish of only a few dozen men. Both sides suffered wounds, but Wada was forced to withdraw, leaving Ukon in possession of Takatsuki Castle. This was Ukon’s first victory as a daimyo in his own right.
Source: 高槻市史; local history on Ukon’s expulsion of Wada Korenaga.

❖ 4. Battle of Yamazaki (山崎の戦い, 1582)

When Akechi Mitsuhide betrayed Oda Nobunaga at Honnōji, Ukon rallied under Toyotomi Hideyoshi. At Yamazaki, Ukon led the first detachment of fewer than 1,000 men. Contemporary sources say his troops, marked with crosses on their tunics, “so fired with the ardor of battle, and so confident with the help of God” that they slew more than 200 of Akechi’s nobles. Tokugawa Ieyasu is said to have remarked that “in Ukon’s hands 1,000 soldiers would be worth more than 10,000 in the hands of whosoever else.”
Source: James Murdoch, History of Japan II: 280–82; Johannes Laures, Justo Takayama Ukon.

❖ 5. Battle of Shizugatake (賤ヶ岳の戦い, 1583)

The next year, Ukon suffered his only recorded battlefield defeat. Hideyoshi placed him at Iwasaki-yama fort (岩崎山砦) to block Shibata Katsuie’s advance. In April 1583, Sakuma Morimasa attacked: Nakagawa Kiyohide was slain at nearby Ōiwa-yama, and Ukon was driven from Iwasaki-yama. Japanese sources note: “Nakagawa Kiyohide was killed, and Takayama Ukon abandoned the fort and escaped.” Ukon was wounded and lost many retainers, including kinsmen from the allied Kuroda and Ikeda families.

“Decimated” would be the incorrect word, as Lord Takayama, only 31, lost not only many of his own relatives, but lost the male kin of the Kuroda and Ikeda families, making the two families fade into history.

Takayama’s perfornance in this battle is debated by military historians to this day.

This “bitter defeat” left a lasting scar.
Source: 城郭放浪記 entry for Iwasaki-yama砦: “高山右近は砦を脱して逃げ延びた”

6. Komaki & Nagakute (小牧・長久手の戦い, 1584)

In the ensuing contest between Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, Ukon took part in skirmishes at Komaki, Gakuden, and Haguro. These engagements ended in stalemate; while Ukon’s presence is noted, no personal exploits or reverses are attributed to him in the chronicles.
Source: JP summaries of Komaki–Nagakute, 1584.

❖ 7. Shikoku Campaign (四国攻め, 1585)

When Hideyoshi turned to subdue Shikoku, Ukon accompanied him as part of his personal guard. No direct combat role for Ukon is recorded, but his presence at the side of the warlord underscored his growing trust.
Source: Shikoku campaign chronologies.

❖ 8. Kii Operations — Siege of Sawajō Castle (紀伊・沢城/佐和城, 1585–1586)

In the same years, Ukon commanded a largely Christian force in the suppression of the Negoro-shū warrior monks of Kii. His troops, again fighting under the banner of the Cross, besieged Sawajō Castle. The castle fell, strengthening Hideyoshi’s control in the Kansai.
Source: Regional Kii campaign summaries.

❖ 9. Kyūshū Campaign (九州征伐, 1587)

During Hideyoshi’s conquest of Kyūshū, Ukon again served as bodyguard. He accompanied Hideyoshi through Hakata, where the warlord issued the edict banning Christianity. For Ukon, the campaign marked a turning point: Victory in war, but personal loss in faith and fortune.
Source: Kyūshū campaign outlines; Hakata edict context.

❖ 10. Odawara Campaign — Siege of Hachigata (小田原征伐・鉢形城, 1590)

Ukon next appeared under the Maeda banner during the great campaign against the Hōjō. At Hachigata Castle, defended by Hōjō Ujikuni, the Maeda–Uesugi forces pressed a siege lasting more than a month. Ujikuni surrendered, opening the way to Odawara. Ukon fought as a guest general under Maeda Toshiie, marking the start of his Maeda service.
Source: 小田原征伐 campaign records; Hachigata Castle siege under Maeda & Uesugi.

❖ 11. Daishōji & Asainawate (大聖寺城・浅井畷, 1600)

Ukon’s last campaign came in 1600, as the Maeda clan aligned against Ishida Mitsunari’s forces in the Hokuriku. At Daishōji Castle, Yamaguchi Munenaga resisted with 1,200 men against Maeda Toshinaga’s 25,000. The castle fell; the Yamaguchi family committed seppuku. Days later, the armies clashed again at Asainawate, where the Maeda prevailed. Though Ukon is not named in the annal lines, he was by then one of the Maeda’s most seasoned generals.
Source: City of Kaga history on Daishōji; Asainawate battlefield notes.

Conclusion: The End of the Warrior’s Road

With the fall of Daishōji and the clash at Asainawate in 1600, Takayama Ukon’s battlefield career drew to a close. He had fought through the great contests of his age — Yamazaki, Shizugatake, Komaki–Nagakute, Odawara, and the Hokuriku prelude to Sekigahara — and had served three great powers in succession: Oda, Toyotomi, and Maeda. By then, he was no longer the youthful commander of Takatsuki but a seasoned general, respected even by adversaries for his courage and discipline.

Yet Ukon’s destiny did not lie in military glory. After Sekigahara, his Christian faith made him increasingly suspect under the Tokugawa. Stripped of his domains and pressed to abandon his beliefs, he refused. The man who had once borne the banner of the Cross into battle became instead a soldier of conscience, embracing exile rather than apostasy. His final campaign was not fought with sword and banner but with fidelity to Christ, leading him in 1614 onto the ship of exiles bound for Manila — and ultimately to the crown of martyrdom.

Thus, the story of Ukon’s eleven battles is not only the record of a samurai’s military service, but the prologue to his greater witness: a warrior who laid down the sword, and through suffering, gained victory in faith.

Dr. Ernesto A. de Pedro, PhD/History
Lead Promoter, Blessed Takayama Canonization Movement

🔴 HOMILY delivered by Manila ♝Cardinal Jose F. Advincula, DD, during the Noon Mass at the ●Manila Cathedral celebrating ⛨“Blessed Takayama Ukon Day” (Dec. 21, 2023) in Manila.

His Eminence Thomas Aquinas Manyo Cardinal Maeda, Archbishop of Osaka-Takamatsu; Msgr. Rolando dela Cruz, our cathedral rector; brother priests and assisting deacons; men and women religious; dear pilgrims from Japan; brothers and sisters in Christ:

In the past few days, we have been reflecting on the events that transpired before the first Christmas. We realize that the Christmas story is an aggregate of smaller advent stories, the characters of which impart to us some lessons for our own preparations for the coming of Jesus.

Today, we hear about the second joyful mystery, the visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth. We are told that Mary travelled in haste, from Nazareth to Ein Karem (about a hundred mile journey), in order to aid her elderly cousin in her delicate pregnancy. This she did while being pregnant herself, imaginably bearing as well the other concerns raised her mysterious pregnancy. She stayed in the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth for three months, ministering to her cousin in the last trimester of her pregnancy and helping out in the house of the still speechless Zechariah. What do we learn from our mother Mary so that we may also experience the joy that Christ brings?

Firstly, we see in display Mary’s perfect discipleship of her Son. If we appreciated her total availability to God in the annunciation, we now witness her total availability to neighbor in the visitation. In this scene, and in many others, she bears both the vertical and horizontal beams of the cross, the two greatest commandments. Our mother teaches us that a fiat to God necessarily implies a fiat to neighbor. When God is in you, you are by default oriented toward others.

Mary’s holiness was therefore integral. She wholly gave herself to God and neighbor. No wonder she was raised body and soul, integrally, into heaven. As God gave the divine name I AM in the Old Testament, that can be interpreted as I AM WHO AM HERE FOR YOU; and as Jesus was referred to as Emmanuel, God-with-us; Mary has been and will always be there for and with us. We do not only come to Mary to ask for her help and intercession. She comes to us first, in haste, to watch over us with motherly concern. As children of Mary, let us also not delay in responding to the call of God and our needy brothers and sisters.

Secondly, in this pericope, we find Mary acting as the first ever evangelizer. She carries in her womb the good news that is Jesus himself and shares it with others. As a result, Elizabeth exclaims words of blessing, John the Baptist leaps for joy in his mother’s womb, and Zechariah would later be able to proclaim the Benedictus. Our mother teaches us that it is important to bear the Word of God and share it with others. It is essential to account for God’s marvelous works in our lives and confidently testify about them in the public sphere.

In so doing, we give joy, hope, and consolation to our brothers and sisters. Moreover, we also encourage them to discern and unravel the presence and blessings of God in their lives as well. As children of Mary, may we find faith communities that nurture and deepen the life of Christ in us through the sharing of the euangélion or good news. Bearing Jesus in one’s life causes womb leaping joy and a Magnificat song for God.

Finally, through the words of Elizabeth, Mary is praised not only for being the biological mother of Jesus, but also for her faith: “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled”. In two other instances in the gospel of Luke, the same is affirmed. In Luke 8:19-21, about the true family of Jesus, Jesus does not disown Mary as his mother. Rather, he effectively qualifies her to be part of his true family because she hears the word of God and acts on it. In Luke 11:27-28, on the way to calvary, Jesus does not reject the woman’s blessing for the womb that bore him and the breasts that nursed him. He accepts that, but again qualifies that: “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it”, a blessedness that applies to Mary once again.

Our mother teaches us that it is not enough to be part of Jesus’ family as baptized Christians. We need to live out our Christian faith in the concrete. Lip service is not enough; mere listening to God’s word does not suffice; we need to act on it, even to the point of the cross. While we do not share in the unique privilege of being biologically related to Jesus, we can share in the blessing of being part of his true family by imitating our mother Mary who remained faith-full even through her seven sorrows and more.

In sum, in order to experience the joy of Christ in our lives, our mother Mary encourages us to carry the cross of love of God and neighbor, to share his good news to others, and to listen to the word of God and fulfill it.

Blessed Justo Takayama Ukon was a daimyo and samurai who lived in Japan in the 1500s. While baptized as a Christian at the age of 11, he took his faith seriously in his early 20s. He then became a fervent evangelizer, leading to thousands of conversions to the faith. Fr. Johannes Laures, SJ describes: “He preached the Gospel better than any of the missionaries. His amiable and attractive personality and, more striking, his blameless life, attracted numerous souls to the fold of the Good Shepherd”[1]. During the persecution of Catholic Christians in Japan, he gave up his fiefdom, riches, and possessions instead of renouncing his faith. In 1614, with about 300 others, he was expelled from Japan on account of his faith and journeyed to Manila.

Like Mary, Blessed Justo Takayama Ukon visited our country. Though his sojourn here was just less than two months, before he died in 1615, his witness of faith and his holy body have blessed our land.

Like Mary, he shared the good news to us and he fulfilled the word of God even to the point of poverty, exile, and martyrdom.

Like Elizabeth, we rejoice greatly at the gift of faith in Christ that he carried with him.

Like Blessed Justo, may we be bearers of Christ to everyone we meet and every place we visit. Amen.

►After a lull of three years caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Japanese pilgrims are resuming visits to Manila to trace the footsteps of ⛨Blessed Justus “Ukon” Takayama of Manila (高山右近, 1552 Toyono-cho, Osaka-1615 Intramuros, Manila) who was exiled to the Philippines in 1614, and died in Intramuros after a sojourn of only 44 days.

Cardinal Thomas Aquinas Manyo MAEDA, archbishop of Osaka-Takamatsu Archdiocese, will lead a 30-man group to Manila from Dec. 18-22, 2023 to mark the 409^th anniversary of the 1614 arrival of ●Lord Takayama and 350 Catholics exiled from Tokugawa Japan for refusing to renounce their Catholic Faith. This first exile ship in 1614 would be followed by many others every year for the next 254 years.

The Japanese pilgrims will offer flowers at the Takayama National Memorial (est. 1977), which was declared a National Monument by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines in 1992.

At Santo Domingo Church in Quezon City, they will celebrate Mass before the venerated Marian icon ●“La Japona,” which was brought back to Manila by Lord Takayama from Nagasaki’s Santo Domingo Church.

They plan to visit and celebrate Mass at Takayama’s putative gravesite in the Jesuit Cemetery at the ●Sacred Heart Novitiate (SHN) in Novaliches.

They will offer flowers at the ●Takayama Shrine at the UST Graduate School; visit the churches Takayama visited —  the ●San Fernando de Dilao Parish Church (also known as Paco Church) and ●San Miguel Church (also known as the National Shrine of Saint Michael and the Archangels) — and celebrate Mass at the Manila Cathedral where Takayama had served at Mass.

On December 21 — which was declared “Blessed Takayama Ukon Day” in Manila by the Manila City Council in 2018 – Cardinal Maeda will concelebrate the Noon Mass at the Manila Cathedral with Manila Cardinal Jose F. Advincula, after which he will lead a procession from ●Postigo del Gobernador (the city gate where the Japanese exiles made their entry to Manila), to the ●Jesuit Compound (today, the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila | PLM Campus) where the exiles were accommodated in their first night in Manila before being resettled in San Miguel.

In preparation for the arrival of the Japanese pilgrims, the PLM Campus Ministry will celebrate a triduum before Takayama Day on December 21.

The DOT-NCR is laying out the red carpet for this faith-based initiative, and is preparing for Japanese visits, not only to Intramuros, but other areas of interest – like the corridor of Spanish churches from Ilocos Norte to Ilocos Sur, as well as ancient churches in Bohol, Cebu and Bicol.

In 1634, only 19 years after Takayama’s death in Manila, the Manila archdiocese proposed to the Vatican the canonization of the Japanese-born Manila Catholic. Takayama is thus the first ●“Servant of God” of the Philippine Church.

In 1964, Japanese Bishops visited Manila♝Cardinal Rufino J. Santos in Rome in the sidelines of Vatican II to urge Manila to revive the dormant Beatification Cause of Takayama.

The Manila Archdiocese, not having a native Filipino saint of its own in 1964, “seconded” the promotion of the Beatification Cause of the Servant of God, Justus Takayama, to the Osaka Archdiocese.

In 1975, a Historical Committee of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan (CBCJ) submitted supporting documents to the Jesuit General Postulator.

But when Prof. Ernesto A. De Pedro visited Rome inquiring into the papers about Takayama, he was told the Cause had been dormant for 12 years as they could not be submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints (CCS): Two of the languages they were written in – German and Portuguese – were not official Vatican languages.
Would De Pedro undertake the translation of all the documents into English “pro bono” in two years?

De Pedro accepted the assignment.

From Manila, De Pedro printed out the ●“Positio: Servus Dei, Justus Takayama Ukon: Materia Praeparata Pro Propositione Super Virtutibus Servi Dei Justi Takayama Ukon” (1994, 648p).

In 2017, Ven. Takayama was beatified, which means he is now venerated in churches in Japan and the Philippines —  and elsewhere in the world where there are Filipino or Japanese Catholic congregants.

When a validating miracle — effected through the intercession of Blessed Takayama — is approved by the Vatican, St. Justus Takayama of Manila will be venerated in Catholic churches around the world. #

Dr. Ernesto A. de Pedro, PhD
Takayama Trustee

1614 — ●Dec. 21, 1614 – Arrival in Manila of ●Dom Justus Ukon Takayama (1552 Toyono-cho, Osaka-1515 Intramuros, Manila) with the first boatload of 350 Catholic refugees and migrants exiled from Japan.

This first boatload presaged the arrival of Catholic refugees and migrants from Japan for the next 262 years.

1615 — ● Feb. 3, 1615 – Death of Justus Ukon Takayama in the Jesuit (now PLM) Compound, Intramuros, Manila – Takayama’s home for 44 days.

1634 — ● Oct. 5, 1634 – [SERVANT OF GOD, Original Manila Process]: Petition sent to the Vatican by the Manila Archdiocese proposing the Japanese-born Christian Samurai Takayama as the first Manila Catholic to be considered for sainthood. Takayama is thus the Philippine Church’s first “Servant of God.”

1899 — ● Imbedding of bone fragments of the Servant of God, Justus Takayama as the altar-stone of the Society of Jesus’ San Ignacio Church-II in Intramuros

1937 — ● Feb. 3, 1937 – XXXIII Eucharistic Congress in Manila adopts resolution promoting Canonization Cause of Servant of God, Justus Ukon Takayama.

1963 — ● Nov. 14, 1963 – Manila Cardinal Rufino J. Santos “seconds” Takayama Beatification Cause to Osaka Bishop (later Cardinal) Paul Yoshigoro Taguchi (Prot. No. 821 / 63).

1964 — ● April 24, 1964 – [SERVANT OF GOD, Osaka Process]: CCS approves re-initiation of the dormant “Causa Historica” of Takayama by the Diocese of Osaka, newly recognizing him as “Servant of God.”

1977 — ● Nov. 17, 1977 – Inauguration of the Takayama Memorial as the centerpiece of the Philippines-Japan Friendship Park at Plaza Dilao, Paco, Manila.

1987 — ● Aug. 20, 1987 – Jesuit General Postulator commissions Prof. Ernesto A. de Pedro, to translate to English, pro-bono, the “Positio: Servus Dei, Justus Takayama Ukon: Materia Praeparata Pro Propositione Super Virtutibus Servi Dei Justi Takayama Ukon” submitted in 1975 by the Catholic Bishops Conference of Japan (CBCJ).

1987 — ● Nov. 17, 1987 – First Walking Tour of “Lord Takayama’s Manila” for Takatsuki pilgrims.

1988 — ● Sept. 29, 1988 – Japanese and Filipino history buffs organize “Takayama Ukon Kensho Zaidan” (English: Lord Takayama Jubilee Foundation), the first support group for Takayama’s Sainthood Cause, now carried on by the “Prayer Warriors of Blessed Takayama.”

1992 — ● Nov. 17, 1992 – Takayama Memorial declared as a National Monument by the National Historical Commission.

1994 — ● June 10, 1994 – Jesuit General Postulator, Fr. Paolo Molinari, SJ, submits “Positio: Servus Dei, Justus Takayama Ukon” to CCS.

Takamatsu Bishop Francis Xavier Osamu Mizobe, SDB (1935-Feb. 29, 2016), who was in charge of the Cause, explained why it took 30 years (1964-1994): “One reason why the process for Ukon was going so very slowly was that many of the documents were written in German [and Portuguese]. This delayed the initiation of the investigation.

“The officials decided that all these German [and Portuguese] documents had to be translated into English and it had taken quite a long time to find a suitable translator.

“Dr. Ernesto A. de Pedro, professor at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in Manila, agreed to undertake the task of translation. He finished his work in 1994, so from then on, the CCS could move forward.”

2015 — ● The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan (CBCJ) decided to switch the category of the “Cause of Takayama” from “CONFESSOR” (as originally proposed in “Positio: Servus Dei, Justus Takayama Ukon” | Manila: Lord Takayama Jubilee Foundation, 1994) to “MARTYR” (as documented in Fr. Anton Witwer, SJ, “Positio Super Martyrio,” Rome: 2015).

2016 — ● Jan. 21, 2016 – [VENERABLE]: Pope Francis authorizes the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints (CCS) to publish Decree of Martyrdom declaring the Servant of God, Justus Ukon Takayama as a “layperson … from Japan [who] died from the hatred of the Faith on Feb. 3, 1615 in Manila, Philippines.”

2017 — ● Feb. 7, 2017 – [BLESSED]: Beatification Rites for “Venerable Justys Ukon Takayama of Manila” in Osaka Archdiocese, Japan.

2018 — ● Feb. 3, 2018 – First Liturgical Feast Day of Blessed Takayama in Japan and the Philippines.

Also on Feb. 3, 2018, the first 60 Takayama Pilgrims from Japan visited the old Jesuit compound where the ‘Kirishitan Samurai’ Justo Takayama died on Feb. 3, 1615. For the first time, they trod on ground where Blessed Takayama (1552-1615) spent his last days.

2018 — ● Dec. 21, 2018 – Manila City Council issues Resolution declaring December 21 every year as “Blessed Takayama Ukon Day” in Manila, per Resolution No. 273, Series of 2018, adopted on December 10, 2018.

2019 — ● July 25, 2019 – Pope Francis imparts Apostolic Blessing to Dr. Ernesto A. de Pedro and “Prayer Warriors of Blessed Takayama.”◘

Dr. Ernesto A. De Pedro, PhD
Lead Promoter
Prayer Warriors of Blessed Takayama of Manila

By Cardinal Angelo Amato, SDB

►Dom Justo Ukon Takayama (高山右近,1552 Osaka-1615 Manila) was born around 1552 in Takayama Village, Toyono-chō (豊能町) in Osaka Prefecture. His father, Takayama Zusho, belonged to the military nobility who ajt the time was often involved in the various wars between daimyō or feudal lords: in fact, from 1538 onwards, he served as a samurai in the service of the noble Matsunaga Hisashide and became commander of Sawa castle.

Educated in honor and loyalty, he developed a fidelity to the Lord Jesus so strongly rooted as to comfort him in persecution, exile and abandonment. Indeed, the loss of his privileged position and his reduction to a life of poverty and hiding did not sadden him, but made him serene and even joyful, because he kept faithful to the promises of his baptism.

He was therefore a prince of the highest rank, belonging to the noblest class of Japan, who at the dawn of the evangelization of his country decided to enthusiastically embrace the new faith brought by the Jesuit missionaries. Indeed, with the intention of spreading Christianity, he founded seminaries for the formation of “autochthonous” catechists, many of whom suffered martyrdom, such as Saint Paul Miki.

But when the expulsion of the missionaries was ordered, thus interrupting their fruitful evangelizing activity, Justus chose exile rather than abandoning the faith.

Rehabilitated in 1592, unfortunately in 1614 he underwent the issuing of a new edict enjoining the abandonment of Christianity. The refusal cost Justus a painful period of deprivation and solitude. First deported to Nagasaki, he was later sentenced to exile in the Philippines.

Together with three hundred Christians, he reached Manila after a long and troubled voyage that lasted 43 days. Weakened by illnesses contracted during his deportation, he died in the Philippine capital 44 days after his arrival. He was 63 years old, most of which he spent as an extraordinary witness to the Christian faith in difficult times of conflict and persecution.#

http://www.causesanti.va/it/santi-e-beati/justus-takayama-ukon.html

►On December 21, 2022 – the 408^th anniversary of the arrival of Dom Justo Ukon Takayama (1552 Osaka-1615 Manila; beatified 2017) and 350 Christian exiles from Tokugawa Japan – Archbishop Jose F. Cardinal Advincula installed the 40th altar statue of Blessed Takayama at the National Shrine of Saint Michael and the Archangels NSSMA (San Miguel Church) in Manila.

December 21, 2022 was also the 4^th celebration of ●“Blessed Takayama Ukon Day” in Manila, declared by the Manila City Council to be marked every year.

A painting – ●‘“Dom Justo Ukon Takayama & Family in Manila” (by UST’s Derrick C. Macutay, 2022) – measuring <56.5 x 66 inches> – was blessed by Cardinal Advincula. It is the first of a series of paintings about Takayama’s final 44 days in Manila.

►The Japanese compatriots of Blessed Takayama were led by ●Japanese Ambassador Kazuhiko Koshikawa and his wife, Mrs. Yuko Koshikawa; ●Mr. Akihiko Hitomi, First Secretary, Embassy of Japan; ●Mr. Matsuda Shigehiro, Director of Japan Information & Culture Center and ●Jenny De Jesus Okada.

The Japanese community was represented by: ●Mr. Seiji Takano, President, Japanese Association Manila Inc. and ●Mr. Kunihiko Nimura, General Secretary.

►In his speech, Ambassador Koshikawa remarked that Blessed Takayama Ukon’s pioneering legacy continues to live on throughout centuries and expressed his hope for more Japanese visitors to get to know more about him through his statue.

“He was able to experience the warmth and hospitality of the Filipino people and this created a seed for the long-standing friendship between Japan and the Philippines,” the Ambassador said.#

Dr. ERNESTO A. DE PEDRO, PhD
Takayama Trustee
Editor, Official Vatican Document: “Justus Takayama Ukon, Servus Dei” (1994, 648p)
Recipient, Pope Francis’ Apostolic Blessing No. 460.258

►(By Anthony Mathison, May 26, 2022) —  A recent thread here on FB sparked my historical geek instincts. I’ve loved the samurai and Japanese history & culture since I was a young boy; studies I’ve kept up to this very day. I can speak rudimentary Japanese, and have a growing understanding of Kanji (katakana and hiragana, being syllabaries, was far easier to master, lol). Since my childhood, I’ve been a huge fan of Takayama Shigetomo “Ukon” (an affectionate title) – 高山 重友 右近 – who remains perhaps the most famous Christian samurai. 

He was converted by Jesuit missionaries from Portugal and baptized at the age of eleven (11), but he embraced his faith fully by the age of 20 after he was nearly killed in a sword duel. His baptismal name was “Iustus,” and the Jesuits called him “Dom Justo.” He fought and led armies to help stabilize a fractured, warring Japan under the warlord Oda Nobunaga (織田 信長), who in turn tolerated Christian missionaries. 

Yet, when Nobunaga was assassinated by a disgruntled samurai, his vassal, Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣 秀吉), took his place and was named chancellor (関白) by the Emperor, Go-Yōzei (後 陽成 天皇).

Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a devout Shinto-Buddhist, feared that the spread of Christianity in Japan would make it vulnerable to foreign invasion. A persecution of Christians soon began. Given Takayama Ukon’s past meritorious service, Hideyoshi offered to allow him to keep his castle and lands provided he renounce Christ. Without hesitation, Takayama refused and thus forfeited his rich lands. He sought refuge and service with an elderly warlord, Maeda Toshiie (前田 利家). From great lord to lowly samurai; a major downgrade!

Yet, it was not to last. Lord Maeda died in 1599, and the subsequent year, Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川 家康), a former vassal of the now dead Toyotomi, won the shogunate over Japan at the massive Battle of Sekigahara (関ヶ原). Fourteen years later, the Tokugawa government exiled all Christians (Kirishitans) who would not deny their faith…the rest they martyred or drove underground. Takayama Ukon left Nagasaki for the Spanish colony of the Philippines.  He would never see his homeland again. Forty-four (44) days later, he died of a fever after having lost everything, yet living humbly and simply in full acceptance of God’s Will.

In 2016, Pope Francis took up the cause of Takayama Ukon’s canonization as a saint. Moreover, the Pope felt that since Takayama died in exile because of the weaknesses caused by the maltreatment he suffered in his homeland, the process would be that of a martyr. This was confirmed further because he renounced all he had to profess his Faith.

Subsequently, in 2017, Cardinal Amato declared the Christian samurai a blessed & martyr during a beatification ceremony in Osaka, Japan.

As per custom among saints, Blessed Takayama “Iustus” Ukon’s feast-day is the 3rd of February in the Roman Martyrology (i.e. “book of saints”). His iconographic attributes and symbols are a katana sword, a crucifix, samurai robes, and the palm of martyrdom. Naturally, he is patron saint of persecuted Christians (especially in Japan), and all Japanese who are forced to live outside their homeland.#

►”It is a brave act of valor to condemn death, but where life is more terrible than death, it is then the truest valor to dare to live.” ~Dr. Nitobe Inazō (新渡戸 稲造), “Bushido: The Soul of Japan” (1st ed., 1899).#

● Jan. 21, 2016 – Pope Francis authorizes the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints (CCS) to publish Decree of Martyrdom declaring the Servant of God, Justus Ukon Takayama as a “layperson … from Japan [who] died from the hatred of the Faith on Feb. 3, 1615 in Manila, Philippines”;

● Jan. 27, 2020 – Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle commends Canonization Cause of Blessed Takayama to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) at its 120^th Plenary Assembly;

● Feb. 3, 1615 – Death of Justus Ukon Takayama in the Jesuit (now PLM) Compound, Intramuros, Manila;

● Feb. 3, 2018 – Liturgical Feast Day of Blessed Takayama in Japan and the Philippines;

● Feb. 7, 2017 – Beatification Rites for Takayama in Osaka Archdiocese, Japan;

● March 1, 2017 – Jesuit journal “La Civilta Cattolica” publishes “Justus Takayama Ukon: The Great Japanese Missionary of the 16th Century”;

● March 25, 2021 – Canonical Erection of Blessed Justo Takayama Ukon Mission Station in Jamindan, Capiz by Cardinal Jose F. Advincula;

● March 28, 2017 – Blessing of Takayama Shrine at entrance of University of Santo Tomas (UST) Graduate School;

● April 24, 1590 – Apostolic “Breve” of Pope Sixtus V (r. 1590-1595) sent to Ukon, who was stripped of his second feudal domain in Akashi Prefecture for refusing to abjure his Christian faith;

● June 1, 1563 – Baptismal day of Justus Hikogoro Takayama, named after St. Justin Martyr (A.D. 100-165), whose feast day is June 1;

● June 10, 1994 – Justus Ukon Takayama declared “Servant of God”; ● July 23, 1987 – Jesuit General Postulator, Fr. Paolo Molinari, entrusts to Prof. Ernesto A. de Pedro the translation to English of the “Positio: Servus Dei, Justus Takayama Ukon: Materia Praeparata Pro Propositione Super Virtutibus Servi Dei Justi Takayama Ukon” submitted in 1975 by the Catholic Bishops Conference of Japan (CBCJ);

● June 29, 2019 – Installation of Takayama altar-statue at PLM Chapel (in the Jesuit compound where Ukon died on Feb. 3, 1615) by Manila Cardinal Tagle;

● July 24, 1587 – Chancellor Toyotomi Hideyoshi(1537-1598) strips Lord Takayama of his domain in Akashi (明石市) in Hyōgo Prefecture;

● July 25, 2019 – Pope Francis imparts Apostolic Blessing to Dr. Ernesto A. de Pedro and Prayer Warriors of Blessed Takayama;

● Sept. 20, 1942 – Commemorative Mass for Dom Justo Ukon Takayama at San Vicente De Paul Parish Church at San Marcelino St., Ermita, Manila, celebrated by Osaka Bishop Paul Yoshigoro Taguchi, with the Philippine church hierarchy and top Filipino officials of the Philippine ExecutiveCommission (PEC) in attendance;

● Sept. 29, 1988 – Japanese and Filipino history buffs organize “Takayama Ukon Kensho Zaidan” (English: Lord Takayama Jubilee Foundation), the first support group for Takayama’s Sainthood Cause, now superseded by the Prayer Warriors of Blessed Takayama;

● Oct. 5, 1630 – Petition sent to the Vatican by the Manila Archdiocese proposing Takayama as the first Manila Catholic to be considered for sainthood;

● Nov. 14, 1963 – Manila Cardinal Rufino J. Santos “seconds” Takayama Beatification Cause to Osaka Bishop (later Cardinal) Paul Yoshigoro Taguchi;

● Nov. 17, 1977 – Inauguration of the Takayama Memorial as the centerpiece of the Philippines-Japan Friendship Park at Plaza Dilao, Paco, Manila;

● Nov. 17, 1992 – Declaration of the Takayama Memorial as a National Monument by the National Historical Commission;

● Dec. 21, 1614 – Arrival in Manila of Dom Justus Ukon Takayama with the first boatload of 350 Catholic refugees and migrants deported from Japan;

● Dec. 21, 2018 – Manila City Council issues Resolution declaring December 21 every year as “Blessed Takayama Ukon Day” in Manila. ◘

Dr. Ernesto A. de Pedro, PhD
Lead Promoter

►Blessed Takayama of Manila was a samurai from the hereditary military nobility of Japan. The samurai were soldiers, were warriors, and it’s interesting how many Catholic saints were soldiers.

Secondly, Blessed Takayama is an example of holiness and resistance to injustice.

And thirdly and lastly, I think that Blessed Takayama also for us a good example of the importance and indeed the precious quality of refugees and migrants. Because he was a refugee. Literally, a refugee from Japan who came here on a boat. A refugee who was a saint.

HOMILY delivered by Abp. Charles J. Brown, at the Feast Day Mass of Blessed Takayama at Santisimo Rosario Parish Church (UST Chapel) on Feb. 3, 2022.

►As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” (Romans 8:36). No, in all these things we are more than yconquerors through zhim who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,

No in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, it gives me so much joy to have the privilege to celebrate this Mass in commemoration of Blessed Justo Takayama Ukon.

I was very grateful for the invitation that I received from Dr. Ernesto De Pedro, Managing Trustee of the Prayer Warriors of Blessed Takayama to celebrate this Mass here in the Chapel at U.S.T. – University of Santo Tomas. And I’m grateful to Fr. Paul Talavera for having invited me to be with all of you this afternoon.

The story of Blessed Justo Takayama is intimately connected to the story of the evangelization of Japan, and also of course the story of the Catholic Church here in the Philippines. The Catholic faith had arrived in Japan, in Nagasaki by means of St. Francis Xavier and the Jesuits in the 1540’s and there briefly flourished and was very effective in evangelization, over one hundred thousand people became Catholic in a short time in Japan in the 1540’s and the 1550’s including many people from the noble class, from the land-owning class.

But the faith began to provoke also resentment and opposition. And then beginning in the 1560’s there was a series of edicts issued by the Emperor restricting and finally banishing Christianity, Catholicism in Japan. Beginning in the 1560’s but increasingly into the 1580’s.

And there we begin to see the connection with Manila, because in 1593 during the time in which the Catholic faith was suffering repression in Japan, a saint from Manila, who was originally from Spain, San Pedro Bautista went from here, from the Philippines to Japan with his companions. And continued that work of evangelization.

And as we know, San Pedro Bautista himself, after having founded hospitals and churches in Japan was martyred for the faith in 1597, in February of 1597 in Nagasaki. (San) Pedro Bautista and twenty-five other Christian Catholics were crucified in Nagasaki in 1597.

That, Brothers and Sisters, is the context in which our Blessed Takayama was living in Japan. He had been baptized into the faith as a young boy of eleven  years old in 1563. So just as this persecution was beginning. And he experienced that persecution very, very personally. He was from the ruling class. He was from the military class. He was a samurai, a man of great nobility, of great human qualities. And he and his family had become Christian, indeed his parents had become Christians and passed the faith onto him. He had in the beginning of his Christian life was not terribly devout, but later on experienced a kind of reconversion, and became very, very fervent. But he then began to suffer this repression, this persecution. But was also an incredibly effective evangelizer, because of the nobility of his character, because of the beauty of his person, because the convincing power of his example – many Japanese even in the midst of this time of opposition and in deep persecution were becoming Catholic.

So finally, in 1614, so that was quite a bit later on as almost fifty years he had become a Catholic through baptism, he was exiled from Japan. With something like 300 other Japanese Christians and some foreign missionaries. They were loaded on to a ship departing from Nagasaki in November of 1614, and arrived here in Manila more than a month later on December 21st of 1614 of that year.

And because of the prominent figure of Blessed Takayama, he was received by the Governor General Juan de Silva here in Manila with high honors. But the voyage was quite difficult and he had become quite sick and ill during the voyage. And then here in Manila after having arrived, he then, approximately 44 days after his arrival here in Manila, the Lord called him to his heavenly reward. And he went into heaven on the 3rd of February of 1615, and was buried in the Jesuit church in the southern part of Intramuros.

So we have this amazing story of a man deeply immersed in his own culture who became an amazing evangelizer, and then because of the persecution, he was exiled from his country and ended up here in Manila, where he went into his heavenly glory in 1615.

He was beatified, only about 5 years ago, by Cardinal Angelo Amato, on his trip to Japan indeed he was beatified in Osaka, on February 7th of 2017.

And the following day in Rome, Pope Francis on the 8th of February of 2017 was reflecting on the beatification and said this, the day after in Rome:

“Yesterday in Osaka, Japan, Justo Takayama Ukon was beatified.” And then he summed up his life in a few words. “Rather than compromise, he renounced his honors and comforts, accepting humiliation and exile; he remained faithful to Christ, and faithful to the Gospel. And for this reason, he represents an admirable example of fortitude in the faith and dedication in charity.”

This is the glory of Blessed Takayama. The fact that he was able to sacrifice his honors, indeed his homeland, for the sake of Christ. What a beautiful figure for us today and when we reflect on his life, there’s a few things I think, for me studying his life and reading about him in these days that really impressed me.

First of all, the fact that he was a samurai. He was from the hereditary military nobility. The samurai were soldiers, were warriors, and it’s interesting, isn’t it? Brothers and sisters, how many Catholic saints were soldiers. We think of Saint Martin of Tours. We think of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Even think of Saint Joan of Arc, a warrior. Or Blessed Charles de Foucauld, who will be canonized by Pope Francis this year. All of these people were military people who were then converted to Christ and their spirit of service, and indeed of combat was translated into spiritual combat. And that is the role that all of us as Catholics have to assume. Our lives as Christians in the Church militant which is a church on this earth are lives of combat. Combat against sin, combat against discouragement, the unseen warfare of the heart. The warfare in which we allow God’s grace to make us victorious over sin and death. That is the process of Christian life and it’s a spiritual battle, a spiritual combat which we fight. And these saints like Blessed Takayama who were soldiers, kind of give us an image of that spiritual combat.

Secondly, Blessed Takayama is an example of holiness and resistance to injustice. He did allow the unjust rules of persecution of Christians to discourage him. He remained faithful to his commitment to Jesus, to his love for our Lady.

Indeed, he brought here to Manila that beautiful statue of our Lady – “La Japona” — that he brought from Japan. He did not allow the opposition of the world to defeat him or to discourage him.

And that, brothers and sisters is a message that we can take home for us today. Do not allow even allow today in 2022, the spirit of the world to conquer of defeat you or discourage you. Because in Christ, we conquer over sin and death. In Jesus, all things are possible. Our faith is life that triumphs over sin and death. Blessed Takayama illustrated that and manifested that in his life. He manifested the fact that the Kingdom of God is within us and the spiritual combat that allows that Kingdom of God to conquer, first of all our hearts will then be spread to those around us. But the first battle is the interior battle. Then, the exterior battle.

And thirdly and lastly, I think that Blessed Takayama also for us a good example of the importance and indeed the precious quality of refugees and migrants. Because he was a refugee. Literally, a refugee from Japan who came here on a boat. A refugee who was a saint.

In the Letter to the Hebrews, there’s those famous words, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers.” For by doing so, that is by showing hospitality to strangers, some in a classic phrase have entertained angels unawares. What does it mean? That sometimes by receiving strangers, migrants and refugees, we are giving hospitality to angels without being aware of it.

And indeed, here in the Philippines, the beautiful Catholic culture, which is already in place here in Manila, received with open arms this Catholic refugee from Japan; and received perhaps not an angel unawares, but a saint unawares! A saint who later on would be beatified, and God willing, canonized.

So, it makes us remember, reflect and also be proud of the spirit also here in the Philippines of receiving immigrants and people who need shelter and protection. It’s something that Pope Francis is constantly reminding us of. And we see this example in the 17th century, in the 1600’s – an example that remains valid for us even more today in our own world.

So, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, for me as your Apostolic Nuncio, as a representative of Pope Francis here in the Philippines, it gives me so much joy to celebrate this Mass in commemoration of Blessed Takayama. Let’s ask for his intercession. Let’s ask also that we may have the grace to imitate him in his steadfastness, in his spiritual combat, and his love for our Lady and in his triumph over sin and death.

May God bless you. ###

Transcribed by Raul Roque
Trustee, Prayer Warriors of Blessed Takayama