About the Book

Book: The Cross at Morioka Castle Author: Kathleen J. Robison Genre: Historical Christian Romance Release Date: July 15, 2025

Within this ancient land of shoji screens and tatami mats, Ariko finds that the stone ruins of Morioka Castle hide a mysterious secret that holds the keys to a Christian faith extending far deeper than she ever imagined. Ariko returns to Japan, riddled with guild. Engulfed with grief, she must tidy up her deceased father’s affairs, and she faces the shattering of a dream. Her father’s small soba shop, a haven where he shared his faith, stands silent, and his wealthy family has long since turned their back on his legacy of faith. Ariko struggles with whether to return to the United States when her great-grandmother demands that she stay in Japan and join the family business, a legacy her father abandoned years ago. Seeking escape, Ariko ventures to the enigmatic ruins of Morioka Castle, where the air hums with murmurs of the forgotten past. Amid the crumbling stones and ancient shadows, providence brings a striking stranger, and he captivates her with a tale woven into the very fabric of the castle – a legend that flickers with the promise of hope, just in time for a fateful Christmas Eve.

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About the Author

Kathleen J. Robison weaves tales that inspire a walk of faith and a reliance on God’s guidance through life’s trials. With endearing characters, her stories are a testament to the resilience of broken lives, revived through hope and renewed through God’s grace. Kathleen and her husband call Southern California home, where they find joy in the company of their twenty-one and counting grandchildren.

More from Kathleen

Who doesn’t love castles, right? I fell in love with the ruins of Morioka Castle Park long before I wrote this novella. Both my sons and their families lived in Morioka when they first became missionaries, so we made trips to see the grandkids and a few trips to the castle ruins as well. Morioka Castle in Northern Japan is a park of ruins, but what glorious ruins they are. In 1632, after twenty years of construction, the castle was completed by the Nanbu, a well-known Samurai clan. The castle stood from 1598 until 1874. Sadly, after serving feudal lords for two-hundred and fifty years, the age of the Samurai came to a close, and the magnificent structure was demolished. After the Boshin War, the Meiji government consolidated its power by abolishing domains and removing castles in lands that had opposed the government. Thankfully, in 1906 a park was established around what was left of the granite walls and grounds of Morioka Castle. It’s where my character Ariko meets a handsome stranger and while touring the castle, learns of the legend of the cross. “He explained the castle kitchen history, but his emphasis was on the cross. “The Castle Kitchen Cross, as I call it on my blog, is where an ex-samurai and his wife practiced their faith and shared it secretly with those who came to the kitchen. The cross carved in the stone, although obscured, was hidden behind pots and pans hanging on the wall.” Ariko’s ears perked when he mentioned ex-samurai.” The legend in the story is completely fictional. Although in my research, I discovered that there was a Christian Samurai who … well, if you read the book, perhaps you’ll discover what’s fact and what’s fiction! Just imagine walking the castle grounds with Ariko as she discovers the cross in the kitchen. What conflicts may it have caused in her ancestral, Japanese family? Let The Cross at Morioka Castle whisk you away. Take the journey to Japan, where the ethereal land of the ancient is not so far away.

Interview with the Author

If a reader were to ask you what author you are like, what would you answer?

I aspire to write like Colleen Coble or Patricia Bradley. Both are Christian Romance Suspense writers, but they are particularly heavy on character-driven stories. Yet, they write riveting plots that keep readers turning pages and eagerly awaiting the next book! I love my characters, and I love how these women make me feel for theirs.

What is your favorite hymn and why?

Come Thou Font by Robert Robinson. It’s such a beautiful melody, and I love his desire to stay close to God. In the lines: ‘Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it–Prone to leave the God I love; Here’s my heart, o take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above,” he expresses the struggle all Christians face at some point in their lives. But in Jesus, God has indeed sealed our faith for the courts above. What a gift we have waiting for us!

What is one thing readers would be surprised to learn about you?

My husband and I have eight children, seven of whom are married to wonderful spouses, and they’ve blessed us with twenty-one grandchildren and counting! Every day, I thank the Lord for his blessing on our joyful family. This summer, all thirty-eight of us gathered together in Yosemite for a camping trip! It was the first time in eight years that we had all been able to meet together.

What inspired you to write this book?

On a trip to visit my missionary sons in Japan, they took me to Morioka Castle in Iwate. It was so eerily beautiful, and I felt the granite ruins calling me to write a story. In Japan, where fewer than 0.5% of the population is Christian, I knew it would be challenging to weave a Christian thread into a story and make it authentic. Upon research, I found some interesting facts about a Christian Samurai!

Share with me a few of your favorite things.

Oh, I have so many! Traveling is a real passion, but time and money often prohibit it as much as I’d like. I love crafting of all kinds. Like my writing projects, I have numerous sewing, embroidery, junk journaling, knitting, and crocheting projects going on. My houseplants bring me great joy as well, but watering over twenty-five of them throughout the house takes a long time. I’ve always loved tea parties, and in my younger days, I frequently hosted formal ones. Nowadays, I love throwing together peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and cookies for the grands. But I still take out the China and lace. Most of all, I love praying with my family. Seeking our Almighty together brings me the greatest joy. It’s the highlight of our family gatherings for me. We used to pray together, from youngest to oldest, but with so many of us now, it takes so long! With restless babies and toddlers, who sometimes pray, it can get sweetly out of hand fast. Now, I simply ask that at least one person from each family pray, but I welcome everyone who wants to beseech our Lord together.

I sure appreciate your intriguing questions. It’s been such fun. How enjoyable it would be to ask readers some of the same questions!