Kashima Shrine
鹿島神宮
A Shinto shrine where you can watch everyday Japanese ritual up close.
What this place is
Kashima Shrine (鹿島神宮, Kashima Jingū) is a Shinto shrine located in Kashima, Ibaraki in the northern Kantō region of Japan. It is dedicated to Takemikazuchi-no-Ōkami (武甕槌大神), one of the patron deities of martial arts. Various dōjō of kenjutsu and kendō often display a hanging scroll emblazoned with the name "Takemikazuchi-no-Ōkami". Prior to World War II, the shrine was ranked as one of the three most important imperial shrines Jingū (神宮) in the Shinto hierarchy, along with Ise Grand Shrine (伊勢神宮 Ise Jingū) and Katori Shrine (香取神宮 Katori Jingū). During the New Year period, from the first to the third of January, Kashima Shrine is visited by over 600,000 people from all over Japan. It is the second most visited shrine in Ibaraki prefecture for new year pilgrims.
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Why it is worth the trip
- Torii gates marking the boundary between the everyday world and the sacred grounds beyond.
- A main hall in classic Shinto carpentry, often surrounded by centuries-old trees kept as sacred forest.
- Seasonal rites, wedding processions and festival floats that make the place feel lived-in rather than museum-like.
What you can do here
- Purify your hands and mouth at the temizuya, then offer a coin, bow twice, clap twice, bow once.
- Draw an omikuji fortune slip and tie it on the rack if the prediction is unlucky.
- Collect a goshuin — a hand-brushed seal and calligraphy — in a dedicated stamp book.
- Buy an omamori charm chosen for travel safety, study, love or health.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons — click any image for the photographer and licence.
Getting there by public transport
Good to know before you go
- Walk to the side of the central path; the middle is traditionally left for the deity.
- Photography is usually fine outdoors but often prohibited inside the main hall.
- Grounds are typically open from dawn to dusk even when the office closes at 16:30–17:00.
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