On November 8, 1614, Dom Justo Takayama (Iustus Takayama Ukon), alongside 300 other Japanese Christians, leaves Nagasaki, Japan, for the Philippines. Takayama was a Christian (kirishitan) daimyō (feudal lord) and samurai who had been baptized in the Roman Catholic faith at a young age following the conversion of his father. Securing their positions as daimyō aiding Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the father and son soon were at odds with Hideyoshi following his orders that all Christian missionaries be expelled from his lands and that all Christian lords renounce their faith. Dom Justo Takayama elected to maintain his faith at the cost of losing his lands and property, forcing him to seek refuge with his allies. When Tokugawa Ieyasu became Shōgun (military dictator of Japan), Christianity was banned throughout Japan resulting in the expulsion and persecution of Christians. Many, including Dom Justo Takayama, were forced to flee to the Philippines, then controlled by Spain and thus a safe have for persecuted Catholics. Arriving on December 11, 1614, the Christian daimyō would pass away on February 3, 1615, at the age 62.
Dom Justo Takayama was beatified by the Roman Catholic Church on February 7, 2017. He is recognized as a patron of persecuted Christians, Japanese immigrants, and the University of Santo Tomas Graduate School in Manila, Philippines.