Takayama Ukon

Takayama Ukon (1552-1615) was a samurai commander of Settsu Province, baptized with the name Justo. His childhood name was Hikogorō. He was born around Tenbun 21 (1552). His father, Takayama Hida-no-kami Tomoteru, was also a Christian, and Ukon was baptized in his youth, around 1563.

He served a succession of lords: Araki Murashige, Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. During Araki Murashige's rebellion in Tenshō 6 (1578), he switched to Nobunaga's side. At the Battle of Yamazaki in Tenshō 10 (1582), he fought Akechi Mitsuhide on Hideyoshi's side. As lord of Takatsuki Castle, he governed the Takatsuki area, and some 18,000 of the common people in his domain are said to have converted. He was also deeply accomplished in the tea ceremony and is renowned as one of Sen no Rikyū's leading disciples.

In Tenshō 15 (1587), Hideyoshi's Edict Expelling the Jesuits (Bateren Tsuihō-rei) led to the confiscation of his domain. Under the protection of Maeda Toshiie, he lived in Kaga, at Kanazawa. In Keichō 19 (1614), as Tokugawa Ieyasu strengthened the prohibition on Christianity, he was exiled from Nagasaki to Manila. He died of a fever only 40 days after his arrival, at the age of 63.

In 2017, the Catholic Church declared him Blessed (the beatification ceremony was held at Osaka-Jō Hall). As for swords, no primary source has so far been confirmed that shows a link between him and any specific famous blade.