BLESSED DOM JUSTO TAKAYAMA

Blessed Dom Justo Takayama (1552–1615) was a Japanese Christian samurai, daimyo, and one of the earliest and most prominent Catholic converts in Japan. He is also remembered for his connection to the Japanese tea ceremony and his association with the legendary tea master Sen no Rikyū.

Born in Haibara, Yamato Province, into a samurai family, Takayama converted to Christianity as a youth under the influence of Jesuit missionaries, along with his father, who was a powerful local lord. Baptized as Justo, he grew into a respected daimyo who integrated his faith deeply into his governance, promoting Christian missions and protecting converts in his domain.

Takayama was not only a military leader and devout Christian but also a cultured man of the arts. He was trained in the Way of Tea (chanoyu), and is known to have studied under or been influenced by Sen no Rikyū, the most influential figure in the development of the tea ceremony. This practice, emphasizing simplicity, harmony, and humility, resonated with the Christian ideals of contemplation and spiritual discipline. For Christian daimyos like Takayama, the tea ceremony took on a deeper, even catechetical, role—serving as a parallel to the Catholic liturgy in form and symbolism.

During the rise of anti-Christian sentiment under Toyotomi Hideyoshi and later Tokugawa Ieyasu, Takayama refused to renounce his faith. As a result, he lost his lands, title, and position. In 1614, he was exiled with over 300 Christians to Manila in the Spanish Philippines, where they were warmly received.

Dom Justo Takayama performed the tea ceremony in the Manila Cathedral before dying on February 3, 1615, just 40 days after arriving in Manila. 

He was beatified by Pope Francis on February 7, 2017, and is venerated as a model of faithfulness, and peaceful resistance. 

16”x20”

Acrylic on wood. Prayerfully made by Stephen Hotchkiss. 

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