Shigetomo Takayama

Shigetomo Takayama is a minor daimyō from Settsu province. He followed the leading powers of Kyoto, from Miyoshi to Oda to Toyotomi. Shigemoto is best remembered for his Christian faith, choosing to lose all standing and going into exile over renouncing his faith. Many other samurai became Christians because of his influence. In Nobunaga's Ambition, he is known as Ukon Takayama

Roles in Games
Shigetomo Takayama first appears in Samurai Warriors at the battle of Yamazaki, during Mitsuhide Akechi's story mode. He defends the southern route up to Mt. Tennō. In the expansion, Shigetomo serves as a subordinate officer under Toshiie Maeda in the northeast. When the order to move out is given, Shigetomo will attempt to capture Komakiyama Castle with Toshiie.

Samurai Warriors 2 has Shigetomo appear at Yamazaki again, this time defending the central mountain path, fighing for control of it with Yasuie Namikawa. At the Toyotomi side of Shizugatake, Shigetomo will attack Toshiie's camp, trying to defeat Toshinaga Maeda, the Maeda camp gatekeeper. On the Shibata side, he ambushes the overeager Katsumasa Shibata and Morimasa Sakuma when they push too far south. He's joined by Hidenaga Hashiba and Takatora Tōdō in the attack. SW3 moves Shigetomo's location in Yamazaki to defending the path between the Hashiba camp and Mt. Tennō, where he is an optional objective to defeat for help against the Hashiba army. At Shizugatake, Shigetomo Takayama helps defend the front lines with Mitsunari Ishida.

In Samurai Warriors Chronicles, Shigetomo participates in the DLC level, Arioka Castle, where he is among the officers defending the outer garrisons. Ukon defends the central garrison. Samurai Warriors 4 only has Shigetomo return for Shizugatake, where he defends Mt. Iwasaki from an ambush attack by Katsumasa Shibata.

In Nobunaga's Ambition, Ukon typically has decent stats, in the mid 60s, with a political skill at 75, reflecting his real life talent for negotiation and conversion to his faith. Nobunga's Ambition: Lord of Darkness has him appear during the 1571 scenario as a "Ronin of Yamato". Nobunga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence has Ukon join Hideyoshi during the Battle of Yamazaki, where he acts as a part of the vanguard.

Oda Nobunaga Den has Shigetomo act as one of Murashige Araki's vassals. He follows his master in rebellion to the Oda, but can be persuaded to retreat by Sakuma Nobumori.

Surviving in Settsu
Takayama Shigetomo's family came from Settsu province, who's origins either a branch family from the Chichibushi clan or one of the Koga families. Shigetomo was the eldest son of Takayama Tomoteru. As a child, he was known as Hikogoro. When he came of age and had his genpuku ceremony, he was given the name Shigetomo. He was also known as Tomonaga and Nagafusa. However, he is better known by his nickname, Ukon, and baptismal name, Justo.

Shigetomo's father served under Miyoshi Nagayoshi and so Ukon entered the Miyoshi's service as well once he was old enough. Both he and his father served the Miyoshi through Matsunaga Hisahide, who placed them in charge of Sawa Castle. Ukon had already converted to Christianity before he achieved manhood, roughly when he was 10 years old. Ryosai Lorenzo, a blind Jesuit monk who was trained by Francisco Xavier, managed to convert Ukon's entire family by impressing Tomoteru enough with his Biwa playing to strike up a conversation, which led to their conversions.

When Miyoshi Nagayoshi died in 1564, the control of the Miyoshi faltered in Settsu, leaving Ukon and his father at the mercies of the more powerful Ikeda and Itami clans. Political standings were further shaken when the Ashikaga Shogunate was reinstated by Oda Nobunaga in 1568. Nobunaga installed Ashikaga Yoshiaki as the fifteenth shogun of the Ashikaga dynasty. With this shift in power came new appointments of power in Settsu province. Ukon ended up in the service of Wada Koremasa, one of the three military governors (Shugo) appointed by Yoshiaki, with the other two being Itami Koremasa and Ikeda Katsumasa, collectively called the Settsu Sanshugo. Shigetomo and his father were at Takatsuki Castle with Koremasa.

This new delicate balance of power was volatile and soon upset, in 1571. Araki Murashige, with the backing of the Miyoshi Trio, entered into the struggle at Settsu and fought the battle of Shiraikawara, against Ukon's lord, Wada Koremasa. Ukon's cousin, Nakagawa Kiyohide, sided with Murashige and the two crushed Wada Koremasa and Ikeda Katsumasa. Takayama Ukon and his father Tomoteru were also besieged at Takatsuki Castle, the castle town itself going up in flames. As the church connected to Takatsuki was also under siege, Ryoai Lorenzo was sent to report events to Oda Nobunaga. Displeased at a war breaking out in lands he considered under his control, the Fool of Owari sent Sakuma Nobumori to negotiate an end to the fighting, with Akechi Mitsuhide following with a thousand men to ensure the fighting stopped. Part of the peace deal involved appointing Murashige as governor of Settsu, an appointment the former governors resisted secretly.

Ukon's master was dead and his heir, Wada Korenaga, was only seventeen years old. As a result, it was Wada Koremasu who wielded true authority for their retainers like Ukon. However, Korenaga was suspicious of his uncle and had him killed. With Koremasu's death, Ukon and his father found themselves the closest trusted retainers of Korenaga. Wada's other retainers resented this rise and plotted to assassinate Ukon and his family. Learning of these schemes, Ukon sought support from Murashige, who gladly offered to help finish off a household who still proved resistant to his authority. When the conspirators called Ukon and his father to a meeting that was clearly a trap, they brought over a dozen armed retainers and attacked the would-be ambushers. When the fighting began, the lighting was knocked over and extinguished, leading to a blood filled melee. Ukon managed to spot Korenaga's hiding place before losing the light and cut him down. Unfortunately for Ukon, one of his retainers struck him in the head with his blade by mistake, grievously injuring his lord.

Araki and Oda Retainer
Despite taking such a deadly wound, Shigetomo was able to recover fully, a feat he attributed to his Christian faith. With his lord dead by his own hands, Ukon submitted to Araki Murashige. As Murashige still had Nobunaga's blessing to control all of Settsu, outside of the Ishiyama Honganji temple district, not much change was required. Murashige rewarded Ukon with full control over Takatsuki Castle, which Shigetomo renovated and improved on greatly, matching the new, stronger defensive styles of the time. Tomoteru retired around this time, letting Ukon become the head of their clan.

In 1578, Ukon joined Murashige in rebellion against Oda Nobuanga. He gave his sister and son as insurance to Murashige, but that was not enough to keep things peaceful between the two. Ukon sought advice from Jesuit priest Organtino, who told Ukon he believed Nobunaga was in the right in this conflict, but Ukon would have to decide for himself. Knowing how devote Ukon was to his faith, Nobunaga sent Christian missionaries to convince him to side with Nobunaga, as Takatsuki Castle was strategically placed, requiring a long siege to capture otherwise. Caught between wanting to join Nobunaga but also wanting to preserve his sister and son, Ukon hesitated. His father advised him to resist the Oda, but Shigetomo finally chose to instead leave his castle and take audience with Nobuanga, allowing his capture but avoiding any accusation of open betrayal. Murashige in turn spared Ukon's family, but the following battle, the battle of Arioka Castle, ended in complete failure for Murashige, as he couldn't hold his castle on his own.

Nobunaga rewarded Ukon with restored ownership of Takatsuki Castle, but also expanded his control to Akutagawa County in Settsu, which doubled his stipend. The Oda daimyo personally visited Ukon afterwards and gave him gold and fine horses as a gift for ensuring Murashige's rebellion would end much sooner. When Azuchi Castle was finished in 1580, Ukon was granted an estate in the castle, alongside many other warlords under Nobunaga's command. In 1581 Ukon was sent to Hashiba Hideyoshi's war theater with a gift of prized horses for Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi himself was in the middle of his siege of Tottori Castle and Ukon took report of the siege and brought it back to Nobunaga. When Nobunaga began his campaign to finish off the Takeda, Ukon participated as one of his generals who conquers the west.

Christian Daimyo
When Nobunaga died at Mitsuhide's hands, the Akechi lord seemed to believe Ukon would be among those warlords who backed his play for power. However, both Ukon and his cousin Kiyohide rushed back to Settsu to gather their retainers and joined Hideyoshi's forces as they marched to confront Mitsuhide. Takayama Ukon served in the vanguard during Yamazaki alongside Nakagawa Kiyohide and Ikeda Tsuneoki. His performance in the battle earned him notice and a hansome reward from Hideyoshi, who he now followed as Nobunaga's de facto successor. When the battle of Shizugatake began, Ukon was placed in charge of defending Mt. Iwasaki. However, his cousin Kiyohide was overcome and slain by Sakuma Morimasa, who then turned his attention on Ukon. Shigetomo put up the best defense that he could, but ended up abandoning the fortification to Shibata Katsuie's forces. Some have claimed that Ukon fled without fighting, acting in a dishonorable way. However, Hideyoshi did not punish Ukon for his retreat, and the Record of Hoan Taikoki claims that Shigetomo only fled once he knew his men would collapse and be destroyed from exhaustion otherwise. Ukon also participated in the Komaki-Nagakute and Shikoku campaigns.

During all of this time, Takayama Ukon was very open about his faith. He is attributed for convincing Makimura Toshisada, Gamō Ujisato, and Kuroda Yoshitaka (Kanbei) to convert to Christianity. He is also attributed with convincing Hosokawa Tadaoki and Meada Toshiie to hold favorable views on this new Christian faith. In his home province of Settsu, around Taktsuki Castle, Ukon continued his practice of encouraging all of his residents to convert. His efforts were so thorough that most of the Buddhist temples in the area were abandoned and later dismantled for their building supplies. Some Jesuit missionaries went so far as to claim no Buddhists remained in the lands under Ukon's control. The exact extent of his persecution of Buddhist monks and monasteries is not known.

In 1575, Ukon was given a larger landholding in Akashi County, Harima Province. However, in that same year was ordered by the Batteran Expulsion Order to renounce his Christian faith or surrender his lands, which were one and a half larger then what he'd owned in Settsu province. Ukon sought shelter under Konishi Yukinaga, even serving under him at the siege of Kagoshima, one of the last stages of the Kyūshū campaign. However, Ukon left Yukinaga's service in 1588 to join Maeda Toshiie in Kaga province. Toshiie still highly respected Ukon, so he provided him a stipend of 15,000 koku, close to what he'd possessed in Settsu all those years ago. Shigetomo followed Toshiie to the Odawara campaign in 1590, fighting in the seige of Hachioji Castle.

Ukon was impressed by Odawara Castle and combined them with his own understanding of architecture to take these techniques back to Kaga province, renovating Kanazawa Castle. Maeda Toshinaga also respected Takayama Ukon, often asking him advice on different civic matters. This good forune came to an end in 1614, however, when Tokugawa Ieyasu completely outlawed the Christian faith. Everyone had to either recant their faith or leave the country. Ukon decided to leave Nagasaki with 300 Japanese Christians, making his way to Manila on December 11 the same year. He was received with all honors and respect, with the local governer offering to maintain his position as a lord, but Ukon declined. During his stay in Manila, he received an offer from the Spanish colonial state of the Philippines to overthrow Japan. He rejected this plan because in his heart, he still loved his homeland. He died of illness 40 days later.

In 2016, Takayama Ukon was given beatification by the Pope for yielding everything for the sake of his faith. His saint day is February 3 and a statue of him can be seen at Plaza Dilao in Paco, Manila.