An Even Older Temple in the Kashima Area

My ex-pat friend in Kashima just made another amazing temple discovery. In the northern part of the city, in what used to be Ohno Village, there is a temple that dates from the end of the Heian Era (late 9th to early 12th centuries). Apparently it was so remote back then that the daughter of the defeated leader of the Taira clan sought refuge there at the end of the 1100s, when Japan first wound up falling under the control of the shoguns.

The amazing thing is that I've lived in this area for 15 years and drive fairly close to that temple every day on my way to work. I had no idea of its existence even though it's significant enough to have its own website (see link...not much there, though).



Clearly I need to get out more often...