Kashima's great shrine claims to be one of the oldest in Japan, and its deity, Takemikazuchi, is a god of thunder and swords. A stone in the shrine forest, the kaname-ishi, is said to pin down the head of a giant catfish beneath the earth whose thrashing causes earthquakes. Only a small rounded top shows above ground; legend says that no amount of digging has ever reached its bottom. The forest around the shrine, with tall cedars, deer and a spring-fed pond, is a cool, dark refuge on a summer day.
The town itself is a mix of industry and sport. A huge steelworks and petrochemical complex dominates the coast, built around a deep artificial harbour, and the Kashima Antlers, one of the most successful clubs in Japanese football, play at a stadium on the edge of town.
To the east, the Kashima-nada coast runs for tens of kilometres, a long, straight beach of sand and surf facing the open Pacific. Swimming is popular in July and August, when designated beaches open with lifeguards, but the waves can be powerful and rip currents strong. Outside the official season, the beaches are the domain of surfers and fishermen.
West of the town, the shores of Kitaura and the wider Kasumigaura lake system offer flat, quiet roads through rice fields and lotus ponds. In summer the lotus flowers bloom, and herons stalk the paddies.
The approach street to the shrine has old tea houses selling sweet dumplings, which is the civilised way to take a break; for fuel and a cold can, the national road through town has the usual stations and konbini.