A shaft sealing apparatus that in use is installed in an annular space between a rotor and a stator surrounding an outer circumferential side of the rotor and that divides the annular space into a low-pressure side region and a high-pressure side region in an axial direction of the rotor, the shaft sealing apparatus comprising: a seal body formed by stacking a plurality of thin seal pieces, which in use extend from the stator (2B, 4B) toward a radial inner side of the rotor (2A, 4A), in a circumferential direction of the rotor; lateral plates (16, 17) each having a surface facing the axial direction, the lateral plates being curved and in use extending in a circumferential direction of the annular space, a housing in use extending along an outer circumference of the rotating shaft throughout the circumference, the housing being provided with a toric receiving space, in use directed toward the rotating shaft on the radial inner side of the housing; and an elastic body configured to urge the seal body toward the radial inner side of the housing; wherein the seal body forms a seal segment; wherein the seal body is welded to the surfaces of the lateral plates which face the axial direction so that the seal body follows a curved shape of the lateral plates, wherein the said toric receiving space 9(a) includes in a radial direction of the annular space an inner space and an outer space, the inner space having a width dimension which is small compared with a width dimension of the outer space and wherein the inner space and the outer space are in communication; wherein the thin seal pieces each have a head part and a body part, the body part having a width and thickness less than that of the head part; wherein the thin seal pieces are connected by the head parts thereof being welded to one another such that radial inner ends of the thin seal pieces form free ends; wherein the head part of the thin seal piece is housed in the outer space of the receiving space, the lateral plates (16, 17) and the body part of the thin seal pieces are housed in the inner space of the receiving space, the radial inner end of the body part of the thin seal piece, in use protrudes from an opening of the receiving space toward the rotating shaft, a seal segment is biased toward the radial inner side by the said elastic body arranged in the outer space, the seal segment is configured so that the head part of the thin seal piece interferes with an inner wall of the outer space of the housing and is limited in radial displacement, and so that the lateral plates (16, 17) interfere with an inner wall of the inner space of the housing and are limited in displacement in the axial direction within a predetermined range. a seal body formed by stacking a plurality of thin seal pieces, which in use extend from the stator (2B, 4B) toward a radial inner side of the rotor (2A, 4A), in a circumferential direction of the rotor; lateral plates (16, 17) each having a surface facing the axial direction, the lateral plates being curved and in use extending in a circumferential direction of the annular space, a housing in use extending along an outer circumference of the rotating shaft throughout the circumference, the housing being provided with a toric receiving space, in use directed toward the rotating shaft on the radial inner side of the housing; and an elastic body configured to urge the seal body toward the radial inner side of the housing; wherein the seal body forms a seal segment; wherein the seal body is welded to the surfaces of the lateral plates which face the axial direction so that the seal body follows a curved shape of the lateral plates, wherein the said toric receiving space 9(a) includes in a radial direction of the annular space an inner space and an outer space, the inner space having a width dimension which is small compared with a width dimension of the outer space and wherein the inner space and the outer space are in communication; wherein the thin seal pieces each have a head part and a body part, the body part having a width and thickness less than that of the head part; wherein the thin seal pieces are connected by the head parts thereof being welded to one another such that radial inner ends of the thin seal pieces form free ends; wherein the head part of the thin seal piece is housed in the outer space of the receiving space, the lateral plates (16, 17) and the body part of the thin seal pieces are housed in the inner space of the receiving space, the radial inner end of the body part of the thin seal piece, in use protrudes from an opening of the receiving space toward the rotating shaft, a seal segment is biased toward the radial inner side by the said elastic body arranged in the outer space, the seal segment is configured so that the head part of the thin seal piece interferes with an inner wall of the outer space of the housing and is limited in radial displacement, and so that the lateral plates (16, 17) interfere with an inner wall of the inner space of the housing and are limited in displacement in the axial direction within a predetermined range.