Justo Takayama
Japanese catholic daimyo, martyr and blessed
Feast: 3 February (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
The Vatican record
- 21 January 2016 — Martyrdom recognised (decree list, 2016)
Who they were
Justus Takayama Ukon was born around 1552 in the castle of Takayama near Nara. A Japanese layman and father of a family, he founded seminaries to form native catechists, many of whom, like St Paul Miki, became martyrs.
When the missionaries were expelled, rather than give up his faith he chose exile and humiliation, giving up honours and comfort. Deported to Nagasaki and then to the Philippines, he died in Manila in 1615 repeating the name of Jesus.
The miracles
As a martyr, beatified without a miracle.
Why that counted as sanctity
A Japanese Christian who gave up honours and comfort rather than compromise his faith.
Connected on this site
- Paul Miki Saint“A Japanese layman and father of a family, he founded seminaries to form native catechists, many of whom, like St Paul Miki, became martyrs.” — this site's research
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints - biography: Justus Takayama Ukon
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints — promulgated decrees (causesanti.va), summarised in our own words
- Wikidata Q749873 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Justo Takayama (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.