霞ヶ浦
Kashima Shrine is located at the top of the Kashima plateau in south-east [[Ibaraki Prefecture]], intersecting [[Lake Kasumigaura|Lake Kitaura]] and Kashima Bay and in close proximity to Katori Shrine, which also has a trong connection to the martial arts. The shrine is the home of the school of [[Japanese swordsmanship]]. , one of the most distinguished swordmasters in Japanese history, was a frequent visitor to the shrine and developed the school from a combination of his own experiences as a "shugyōsha" during and the .