Itsukushima Shrine repairs in 2026

What is under repair at Itsukushima Shrine in 2026?

The East Corridor, where you enter the shrine, and the five-storey pagoda on the hill beside it. Nothing else is listed.

The shrine's construction status page (in Japanese) lists two current projects and says no further works are planned. The East Corridor reinforcement began on 10 April 2024 and is due to end in December 2026. The pagoda project began on 20 January 2025 and the table runs it to 20 November 2027.

That second date surprises people who read it as 2026 elsewhere. The shrine's project sheet explains it: the pagoda's scaffolding is due to be taken down in December 2026, but finishing work continues until October 2027. For a visitor, December 2026 is the date that counts.

Is the floating torii still under scaffolding?

No. The scaffolding came down in late 2022 and the restoration was declared complete in December 2022. There is no torii work in 2026.

The ninth torii on this spot, erected in 1875, is about 16.8 metres tall and stands on its own weight, not sunk into the seabed. Age and weather had worn it down, and a restoration began in June 2019. The shrine page records it as completed in December 2022, and Time Out reported the scaffolding gone in October 2022.

Old blog posts and photos from 2020 to 2022 still circulate. Ignore them. In 2026 the torii looks freshly painted, because it is.

When will the five-storey pagoda scaffolding come down?

The shrine's project sheet says December 2026. Roof and paint work then continue out of sight until October 2027.

The pagoda project sheet lists the work: re-roofing in cypress bark, a new top coat of paint outside, cleaning of the painted interior, and repairs to timber and metal fittings. Typhoon No. 10 in September 2020 tore the bark roof, which was patched with steel sheet until now.

The repairs also turned up history. A metal plate under the spire carries the date 1533, and infrared cameras found older graffiti under the paint inside, from 1508 and 1529. The interior is painted with celestial musicians and lotus ponds; it is not normally open to visitors.

Until December, the pagoda is a scaffolding tower. Senjokaku, the huge unfinished hall right beside it (100 yen), is open as normal and has the best view down to the shrine roofs.

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Can you still walk through the East Corridor?

Yes. The shrine says the corridor stays passable throughout the work.

The East Corridor is the start of the visit: you buy your 300-yen ticket and walk out over the water along it to the main halls. The shrine's corridor notice says reinforcement runs in sections from April 2024 to December 2026, and that "the corridor can be passed even during the work". Expect a screened-off section or a worker under the floor, not a detour.

Opening hours are unchanged: 6:30 to 17:30 from 15 October to 30 November, 17:00 in December. Our price guide shows which tours include the entry fee.

Where are the best photo spots at Itsukushima Shrine in 2026?

The torii from the shore and from the Hirabutai stage, at high tide. Keep the pagoda out of frame until the scaffolding comes off.

The classic view, torii framed by the shrine, works perfectly; nothing is wrapped in that direction. The torii looks like it floats when the tide is above about 250 cm, and you can walk to its base below about 100 cm. Two highs and two lows a day; our tide guide has the details. Low tide brings the crowd out onto the sand, which makes a good photo of its own.

The pagoda-above-the-shrine shot from the shore near the pier is the one 2026 spoils. Come back after December, when the new bark roof will be at its best. If you visit in November, the maples behind the shrine are a fine trade: see our autumn leaves post.

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