Itsukushima Shrine displays sketching works on 14 November

A new exhibition at Itsukushima Shrine will connect Miyajima’s 103rd Miyajima Sketching Competition with the World Heritage site from 14 November 2026. Selected works from the competition will be displayed in the shrine’s West Corridor until 29 November 2026.

Sketching competition brings works to the shrine

The Miyajima Tourism Association announced the 103rd Miyajima Sketching Competition on 5 October 2026. The competition takes place on 1 November 2026, with registration at the Miyajima pier square from 9am to 11am and work submission due by 3pm, according to the association’s competition announcement.

Participants may draw historic sites and scenic places across Miyajima. The association says the event is open to children and adults, while a restriction applies inside the shrine itself: drawing there is not permitted until 10.30am on 1 November 2026. The selected works will be announced on 14 November 2026 and displayed in the West Corridor from 14 to 29 November 2026.

The West Corridor links the event to a World Heritage shrine

The exhibition location gives the competition a direct connection with the architecture that inspired many of the island’s views. The West Corridor forms part of the shrine complex arranged over the waters of the Seto Inland Sea, where buildings, sea and forested mountains are presented as one setting.

UNESCO describes the present shrine as reflecting construction styles from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Its World Heritage property covers 431.2 hectares on Itsukushima and includes seventeen buildings, three other structures, the main shrine complex and the Marodo-jinja complex. The UNESCO listing for Itsukushima Shinto Shrine also identifies the religious organisation as the owner responsible for managing the component buildings.

The November display therefore places recent drawings inside a corridor belonging to a protected historic ensemble. It also follows an event designed around the island’s own historic sites and scenic places, rather than presenting the competition in a separate gallery.

What the November programme means on Miyajima

The two dates offer different ways to encounter the programme. On 1 November 2026, the competition uses the island as its drawing area and the pier square as its registration point. From 14 November 2026, the West Corridor becomes the specific venue for the selected works.

The arrangement matters for visitors who want to see the competition’s result without taking part in the drawing day. The exhibition remains scheduled through 29 November 2026, while the separate announcement of selected works is set for 14 November 2026.

Visiting Itsukushima Shrine: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The exhibition runs in the West Corridor from 14 to 29 November 2026. The associated competition takes place across Miyajima on 1 November 2026.
• Drawing inside the shrine is restricted until 10.30am on 1 November 2026, but the selected works are scheduled for later display in the West Corridor.
• The shrine stands on Miyajima, an island in Japan’s Seto Inland Sea. The competition’s registration point is Miyajima pier square.
• The World Heritage property covers 431.2 hectares and includes seventeen buildings and three other structures, according to UNESCO.
• Japan’s official language is Japanese and its national currency is the yen.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Itsukushima Shrine

When does the sketching exhibition take place at Itsukushima Shrine?

The selected works from the 103rd Miyajima Sketching Competition are scheduled for display in the West Corridor from 14 to 29 November 2026.

Where is Itsukushima Shrine and how do you get there?

It is on Miyajima in Japan’s Seto Inland Sea. The related competition uses Miyajima pier square for registration on 1 November 2026.

What is Itsukushima Shrine?

It is a Shinto shrine complex within a 431.2-hectare UNESCO World Heritage property that includes seventeen buildings and three other structures.