Kashima and nearby Katori are important Shinto shrines in Ibaraki. Takemikazuchi-no-Okami, the god of thunder, is the patron deity here. At the same time it was very peaceful and had lots of beautiful trees and wildlife.
This shrine is very old and I imagine some of the trees are getting close to 1000 years old. The earthquake in 2011 destroyed the main torii gate and the new one was completed in 2014. I got here using a JR East Pass, which allows unlimited travel in Tohoku, Nagano and the Kanto area. If you want to purchase a JR East Pass, please visit their website.
