Born the eldest son of Takayama Tomoteru, a warrior of Settsu (Osaka).
With his father he was baptized, taking the name Justo, and kept the faith all his life.
With his father he became lord of Takatsuki castle in Settsu. He built churches, and Christians in his domain greatly increased.
His lord Araki Murashige rebelled against Oda Nobunaga, who threatened to punish missionaries and believers unless Ukon submitted. After agonizing, Ukon left his castle and submitted to Nobunaga.
After the Honnō-ji Incident he joined Hashiba Hideyoshi against Akechi Mitsuhide at Yamazaki, fighting in the vanguard.
He was moved to a domain at Akashi in Harima. He studied tea with Sen no Rikyū and was counted among his finest disciples.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi issued the edict expelling missionaries. Ordered to renounce his faith, Ukon refused and lost his rank and domain.
He was taken in by Maeda Toshiie of Kaga and lived in Kanazawa, reportedly helping with work on Kanazawa castle.
Under the Edo shogunate's order expelling Christians, he was sent with his family to Manila in the Philippines, where he was welcomed with great ceremony.
He died of illness soon after reaching Manila. Honoured for his steadfast faith, he was beatified by the Catholic Church in 2017.
Sen no RikyūAkechi MitsuhideOda NobunagaToyotomi HideyoshiMaeda ToshiieKuroda Yoshitaka (Kanbei)Maeda ToshinagaHori Hidemasa
Oda Nagamasu (Urakusai)Honda TadakatsuNene (Kōdai-in)Sakakibara YasumasaMōri TerumotoHori HidemasaSuminokura RyōiGamō Ujisato
People of the Sengoku/Azuchi-Momoyama period ・ People by period
Based on facts found in textbooks and biographies. Uncertain points are marked as such.