Ibaraki

Kashima Shrine

God of thunder in a most unlikely setting

Jasper Wilkins Jul 30, 2015 - 1 min read

<p>This beautiful building impressed me </p>

<p>A man walks through the gateway. </p>

<p>Some prayer tablets at the shrine.</p>

<p>It's getting dark now, time to leave! </p>

<p>A beautiful butterfly sits peacefully. </p>

<p>A small pond filled with various fish.</p>

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 the following website: East Japan Railway.

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Find out more about Kashima Shrine.

Jasper Wilkins @jasper.wilkins

I currently study Media & Cultural studies at London College Of Communication and have previously worked in America as a photojournalist. I have a passion for story telling and travel. The Japanese culture interests me and I am excited to start taking photographs and videos.