Kashima City

Kashima (鹿嶋市, Kashima-shi) is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. As of April 2018, the city had an estimated population of 67,560, and a population density of 631 persons per km². Its total area is 106.02 square kilometres. Kashima is the home of the J. League's Kashima Antlers. Its home field, Kashima Soccer Stadium, was used as a site during the 2002 FIFA World Cup. The city is also the site of the Kashima Shrine (鹿島神宮 Kashima Jingū), a Shinto shrine which is considered the birthplace of many influential styles of Japanese swordsmanship (Kenjutsu). It is one of the oldest shrines in eastern Japan.