Kashima (鹿嶋市 Kashima-shi) is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, in the northern Kantō region of Japan. As of September 2015, the city had an estimated population of 66,860 and a population density of 631 persons per km². Its total area was 106.02 square kilometres (40.93 sq mi). 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, 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.