Dom Justo Takayama is
one of my favourite Samurais in history. I will remember him on his feast day
on February 3.
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A
painting of Blessed Justo Takayama made in Japan by a Filipino artist John
Andrew Sustaita, of Real Catholic Art
[PHOTO
SOURCE: https://www.pinterest.ru/pin/17381148547547088/]
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Blessed Takayama portrait made by
+Noel Velez at his Tokyo hospital bed.
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Iustus
Takayama Ukon
高山右近
Kirishitan
Daimyō
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Illustration
of Justo Takayama
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Layman, Martyr
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Born
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c. 1552
Haibara, Sengoku Japan |
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Died
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3 or 5 February 1615 (aged 62–63)
Manila, Captaincy General of the Philippines, Viceroyalty of New Spain |
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Venerated in
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7 February 2017, Osaka-jō
Hall, Kyōbashi, Osaka, Japan by Cardinal Angelo
Amato (in his capacity as papal legate for Pope
Francis)
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3 February
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Blessed Iustus Takayama Ukon (高山右近)
or Dom Justo Takayama (born Hikogorō Shigetomo) (1552 – 3 or 5
February 1615) was a Japanese Catholic kirishitan
daimyō and
samurai who
lived during the Sengoku period that witnessed anti-religious
sentiment. Takayama had been baptized into the faith in 1564 when he was twelve, though
over time neglected his faith due to his actions as a samurai. He would eventually
rekindle his faith just after his coming-of-age
ritual near the age of 20. He abandoned his status to devote himself to his
faith and was exiled to Manila, where he lived a life of holiness until his death two
months later.
His
cause for sainthood began when he was declared a Servant
of God. Reports in 2014 indicated that he would be beatified sometime in
2015 but Pope Francis later approved it on 21 January 2016; the
beatification celebration occurred on 7 February 2017 in Osaka with Cardinal Angelo
Amato presiding over the beatification on the pope's behalf.
INTERNET SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dom_Justo_Takayama
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Takayama Ukon the Samurai of Christ
[PHOTO SOURCE: https://twitter.com/i/events/959788515881050114]
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Life
Hikogorō
Shigetomo was born as the eldest (thus the heir) of six children to Takayama
Tomoteru who was the lord of the Sawa Castle in the Yamato
Province. He had one sister and two brothers. His name as a child was Hikogorō
(彦五郎). In 1564 his father converted to Roman
Catholicism and Hikogorō was baptized as Justo
(or Iustus). After his coming-of-age
celebration he was named as Shigetomo (重友).
However he is better known as Takayama Ukon (高山右近).
In
1571 he participated in an important and successful battle all as part of his coming-of-age
ritual which culminated in a duel to the death with a compatriot whom he
killed; but Ukon received grievous wounds in the process and during his
convalescence realized he had cared little about the faith that had received
him and had been imparted to him.
He
later married in 1574 and went on to have three sons (two died as infants) and
one daughter. Justo and his father fought through the turbulent age to secure
their position as a daimyō and managed to acquire the Takatsuki Castle (in Takatsuki,
Osaka) under the warlord Oda
Nobunaga and also under the daimyō Toyotomi Hideyoshi during his rule's earlier
times, participating in the Battle of Shizugatake. During their
domination of Takatsuki region he and his father pushed their policies as kirishitan
daimyōs. There were several of their subjects who converted to the faith
under their guiding influence. However, in due course Hideyoshi became hostile
towards the Christian faith and in 1587 ordered the expulsion of all missionaries
and that all Christian daimyōs renounce their faith. While several
daimyō obeyed this order and renounced Roman Catholicism it was he who
proclaimed that he would not give up his faith and would rather give up his
land and all that he owned.
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Ukon
Takayama - an authentic Catholic Samurai daimyo (Japanese feudal lord) who was
just beautified this year :-)
[PHOTO
SOURCE: https://www.tumblr.com/search/dom%20justo%20takayama]
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Ukon
lived under the protection of his allies for several decades but in 1614 Tokugawa
Ieyasu (the ruler at the time) prohibited the Christian faith which
witnessed Ukon's expulsion from Japan. On 8 November 1614 – with 300
Japanese Christians – he left his home from Nagasaki. He arrived at Manila on 11
December 1614 where he received a warm welcome from the Spanish Jesuits and the
local Filipinos.
The governor Juan de Silva wished to provide him with an income to support him
and his relations but he declined this offer since he said he was no longer in
a position to offer his services in exchange for income but neither did he wish
to act like a lord.
The
colonial government of Spanish Philippines offered to overthrow the Japanese
Empire through an invasion of Japan in order to protect the Japanese Christians
and place him into a position of great power and influence. Ukon declined to
participate and was even opposed to the plan. He died of illness at midnight on
3 or 5 February 1615 just a mere 40 days after having arrived in Manila after
having suffered from a violent fever.[1][2]
Upon his death the Spanish government gave him a Christian burial replete with
full military honors befitting a daimyō. His remains were buried in the Jesuit
church there and this made him the only daimyō to be buried on Philippine soil.
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Iustus Takayama
Ukon (高山右近)
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Statue
in Plaza Dilao
At
Plaza
Dilao in Paco, Manila, the last vestige of the old town where around 3000
Japanese immigrants lived after the expulsion, a statue of Ukon stands
depicting him in the traditional samurai garb and a topknot. He is
holding a sheathed katana
that is pointed downward upon which hangs a figure of a crucified Jesus
Christ. The University of Santo Tomas also has a
statue in honor of Ukon in front of the Thomas Aquinas Research Complex
building.
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Iustus Takayama
Ukon (高山右近)
[PHOTO SOURCE: https://senjp.com/ukon/]
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Beatification
His
cause for sainthood started at a diocesan level which resulted in the
validation of the process on 10 June 1994 after the Congregation for the Causes of
Saints were given all the boxes of documentation pertaining to the cause.
The commencement to the cause saw him titled as a Servant
of God. There had been failed attempts to start the cause in the past. The
first attempt came in 1630 when the Manila priests decided to commence it but
this failed due to the isolationist Japanese policies which prevented the
collection of the documentation that was needed; the petition was presented but
was rejected. The second attempt in 1965 failed due to several errors being
made. In October 2012, a letter was presented to Pope
Benedict XVI asking for the cause to be re-examined.
The
Positio
dossier was submitted in 2013 to the competent authorities in Rome for further
assessment. According to Cardinal Angelo
Amato, the beatification would have occurred in 2015 on 21 October 2014 to
Japanese pilgrims; 2015 marked four centuries after his death but the formal
beatification did not occur since it was close to completion at that stage. His
cause was to meant to confirm - in a rather unorthodox case - that Ukon was a
martyr because of the treatment he received and because he renounced all he had
to pursue and profess his faith.
Historical
consultants met to discuss the cause on 10 December 2013 while the theologians
likewise met on 20 May 2014 to discuss and then vote on the cause. The
cardinals and bishop members of the C.C.S. met on 18 June 2015 to make a final
decision on the cause before could go to Pope
Francis for his approval though had to meet again on 12 January 2016. Pope
Francis – on 21 January 2016 – approved Ukon's beatification; it was celebrated
in Osaka on 7 February 2017 with Cardinal Amato presiding on the pope's behalf.
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In
the 2014 NHK Taiga
drama dubbed "Gunshi Kanbei" it was Ikuta Tōma
who assumed the role of Ukon.
[PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/471541023467149056/]
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In popular
culture
In
NHK's Taiga
drama (an annual historical television series) for 2014, Gunshi
Kanbei, Ikuta Tōma assumed the role of Takayama.
In
2016, there was a documentary about Takayama Ukon's life entitled Ukon il
samurai that was released.
OTHER
LINKS:
There
Is Nothing Greater Than The Christian Warrior, The Christian Warrior Is
Superior To All Warriors by Ted on May 27, 2016
In
The History Of Christendom, There Were Many Japanese Samurai Who Rejected The
Buddhist Religion And Accepted Jesus Christ As Their Savior, They Became Great
Warriors For The Faith. Read About Them Today And Learn Of True Warrior Spirit
Of Christianity
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