Samurai of Christ: A Japanese Warlord May Soon Become a Catholic Saint

Takayama Ukon was born in 1552 or 1553 in either modern-day Nara or Osaka to Takayama Tomoteru, one of the earliest Christian converts in Japan. The Takayama family held a lot of power, and the church considered them an important ally in spreading their religion in the country. Through influence from Portuguese missionaries, Tomoteru had his son and 150 members of the clan baptized in 1564, bestowing on Ukon the name Justo (Latin: Iustus), the “Just One.”