Takayama Tomoteru (高山友照)
Tomoteru TAKAYAMA (1527 - 1595) was a busho (military commander) in the Sengoku Period (Period of Warring States) (Japan). He called himself Hida no kami (the Governor of Hida Province). Along with his son Ukon (Shigetomo) TAKAYAMA, he was known as a most early Kirishitan daimyo (Christian feudal lord). His Christian name was Dario.
Biography
Tomoteru TAKAYAMA is said to have been born as a son of dogo (local ruling family) in Takayama Village, Shimashimo County, Settsu Province (present-day, Takayama, Toyono Town, Toyono County, Osaka Prefecture), and he was known as the Lord of Sawa-jo Castle in Uda County, Yamato Province. Being a brave and educated military commander, Tomoteru TAKAYAMA was beloved of his people in the domain, and was well known as a faithful 'model of samurai' among his contemporaries. As a man of mature years Tomoteru TAKAYAMA served Hisahide MATSUNAGA, who was a senior vassal of Nagayoshi MIYOSHI, who had assumed control over Kinai region (the five capital provinces surrounding the ancient capitals of Nara and Kyoto: Yamashiro, Yamato, Kawachi, Izumi and Settsu).
He dramatically encountered the Christianity. Buddhist monks, who had learned that a Jesuit missionary of Gaspar VILELA was to visit Sakai City, petitioned their lord Hisahide MATSUNAGA for the banishment of the missionary. Hisahide did not banish the missionary arbitrarily, and insisted that the missionary should discuss with someone who had enough Buddhist knowledge before making a final judgment of banishment upon detection of any foul play. Therefore, KIYOHARA no Edakata (a Confucian scholar) was chosen to attend the discussion, where Hisahide employed judges that were Tomoteru TAKAYAMA and Tadamasa YUKI (the Governor of Yamashiro Province), both having a detailed knowledge of the Buddhism.
Lorenzo Ryosai, who had formerly been a biwa hoshi (visually-impaired Buddhist troubadours who was dressed like a bonze and played the guitar-like musical instrument called biwa) before being baptized, was invited to Nara to attend the discussion as the representative of the Christians.
(Vilela himself was detained by his followers for the fear of mortal danger.)
The two judges became unexpectedly enraptured by the reasonability and profundity that lay in the Christian teachings, as they listened to the discussion between Lorenzo and Kiyohara. Thus, the discussion was led to a most unlikely conclusion that Tomoteru TAKAYAMA invited Vilela to the Sawa-jo Castle and the whole family including him was baptized there. On this occasion, his legitimate son Hikogoro (later Ukon) was also baptized.
Later, the situation in Settsu drastically changed. In 1568 Nobunaga ODA entered Kyoto to serve Yoshiaki ASHIKAGA, and Tomoteru and his son served under Koremasa WADA, who was the lord of Takatsuki-jo Castle. Koremasa, however, was killed in a campaign against the Ikeda clan (the Battle of Shiraikawara), and the Takatsuki-jo Castle was succeeded by Koremasa's young son Korenaga WADA. Availing themselves of this opportunity, Tomoteru and his son ousted Korenaga and seized the lordship of Takatsuki-jo Castle in May, 1573. Kiyohide NAKAGAWA, who was the Takayama clan's relative, was serving then as a senior vassal of Murashige ARAKI, who was about to take control of Settsu, and therefore, it is likely that the ousting of Korenaga was attained by mutual consent without great confusion.
Thus, fiefs in the northern periphery of Settsu as well as Takatsuki and its surrounding areas went to Tomoteru and Ukon TAKAYAMA. Under the rule of Tomoteru who protected the missionary work, Takatsuki had the flourishing Christian population. In 1578 Murashige ARAKI rebelled against Nobunaga, and the Araki's retainers including Tomoteru and Ukon TAKAYAMA gathered at Takatsuki-jo Castle so as to oppose Nobunaga. During the battle, a conflict arose in the Araki's retainers between a group for surrendering to Nobunaga and other group for resisting him the whole way. As a result, Tomoteru's son Ukon TAKAYAMA left the castle alone. After Murashige's escape, Tomoteru was captured despite his resistance, but he narrowly escaped the death sentence because his son Ukon and the others had implored Nobunaga to spare Tomoteru's life, and Tomoteru was thus ousted and transferred to Echizen Province. In Echizen, Katsuie SHIBATA treated him as a guest military commander.
After Nobunaga's death, Tomoteru appears to have moved from area to area, and finally died as a devout Christian in Kyoto in 1595.