Shumei Foundation

What Shumei Foundation does

Shumei Foundation is a Japan-headquartered spiritual nonprofit organization that traces its origins to 1934 through founder Mokichi Okada (Meishusama) and was formally established in its modern form in 1970 under President Koyama Mihoko, now led by Chairman Koyama Tamao. The organization delivers three interconnected core practices: Jyorei, a spiritual healing method meaning "purification of the spirit" conducted through approximately five-minute sessions of divine light transmission; Natural Agriculture, a farming method that avoids pesticides and fertilizers based on reverence for nature's intrinsic wisdom; and Art & Beauty, which promotes art appreciation as a means of nourishing the soul and fostering community harmony. Its most notable physical asset is the Miho Museum in Shigaraki, Shiga Prefecture, Japan, opened in November 1997 and designed by architect I.M. Pei (known for the Louvre glass pyramid), which has hosted events including the 2018 Louis Vuitton Fashion Show.

Shumei operates through a globally distributed network of more than 20 physical centers across 14 countries spanning the Americas (USA, Brazil, Argentina), Europe (France, Germany, Italy, UK, Ireland), Asia (Japan, Philippines, Taiwan, India, Nepal), and Oceania (Australia), with international headquarters in Shiga, Japan and a regional U.S. hub in Pasadena, California. Services — including Jyorei sessions, Natural Agriculture education, and art appreciation programs — are provided free of charge to visitors of all religious backgrounds, while the organization is funded entirely through voluntary donations accepted as expressions of gratitude.

The go-to-market model is community-led, relying on local center presence, word-of-mouth referrals, regional events, multilingual digital content (website available in 10+ languages), and social media channels (Facebook, Instagram) operated by regional centers. Customer segments are horizontal: spiritual seekers and wellness-focused individuals globally, with no enterprise or commercial customer base. Beyond the Miho Museum, Shumei publishes educational content through "Jyorei Story" videos and maintains contact infrastructure across all international centers. There is no productized software offering, no AI/ML capability, no app, no API, and no disclosed headcount; the operations run as a faith-driven nonprofit with no public funding, no venture capital, and no investor ownership structure.

Name

Shumei Foundation

Legal name

Shumei

Website

https://shumei.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Shumei Foundation is a Japan-based nonprofit spiritual organization offering free Jyorei healing sessions, Natural Agriculture education, and art appreciation programs through a global network of 20+ centers across 14 countries, serving spiritual seekers of all religious backgrounds and funded entirely by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Spiritual Wellness Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (81311), Religious Organizations (813110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents) (BPAGAJAC), Religious & Spiritual Festivals/Observances (Public Events) (MPAGAEAC)

Keywords

• Spiritual healing services
• Natural agriculture farming
• Art beauty appreciation
• Nonprofit spiritual organization
• Wellness community centers

Headquarters

HQ city

Pasadena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices24 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Shumei operates as a spiritual organization. Jyorei is described as 'a divine gift' with no charge for recipients. Donations to support organizational work are accepted as expressions of gratitude.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Shumei Foundation is a nonprofit spiritual organization that provides three core practices: Jyorei (a spiritual healing method in which divine light is transmitted to purify the spirit and body), Natural Agriculture (a farming method that grows food without pesticides or chemical fertilizers in reverence for nature), and Art & Beauty (programs that promote art appreciation to nourish the soul and foster harmony). These practices are delivered free of charge through a global network of Shumei Centers, with the Miho Museum in Shiga, Japan, serving as a flagship cultural venue.

Product overview

Shumei Foundation is a spiritual organization offering three interconnected core practices: Jyorei (spiritual healing/purification of spirit), Natural Agriculture (a farming method based on reverence for nature's intrinsic wisdom), and Art & Beauty (appreciation of art to nourish the soul and foster harmony). The organization operates the Miho Museum in Shiga, Japan, designed by I.M. Pei, and maintains a global network of centers across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia where members and visitors can experience these practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jyorei (Spiritual Healing) A spiritual healing practice meaning 'purification of the spirit.' Jyorei is a shared act in which divine light is transmitted first to the forehead for spiritual purification and then to the top of the head for physical purification, with sessions typically lasting about 5 minutes. It is offered free of charge as a divine gift to anyone, regardless of religious affiliation, and is delivered through Shumei Centers worldwide.
• Natural Agriculture Shumei's method of growing food in deep reverence for nature, avoiding pesticides and chemical fertilizers and relying on the intrinsic wisdom of nature and the relationships among earth, sun, rain, wind, farmer, consumer, and society. The practice is taught at Shumei Centers and applied at Shumei-affiliated farms, including the Steinfurt Farm in Germany.
• Art & Beauty A core Shumei practice that promotes art and beauty as a means to nourish and refine the soul, foster harmony within individuals and communities, and encourage members to make art an integral part of their lives through appreciation programs delivered at Shumei Centers and at the Miho Museum.
• Miho Museum A museum created by Shumei amid the natural beauty of the Shigaraki mountains in Shiga, Japan, designed by architect I.M. Pei. The museum houses Shumei's significant art collections, hosts art exhibitions, and attracts visitors from around the world as a cultural destination for the Art & Beauty practice.
• Shumei Centers A global network of centers across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Oceania (including the United States, Brazil, Argentina, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, India, Nepal, and Australia) that serve as the operational locations where Jyorei sessions, Natural Agriculture education, and art appreciation activities are made available to members and visitors.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Miho MuseumflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 1997Shumei created the Miho Museum in the Shigaraki mountains of Shiga, Japan. The museum opened in November 1997 and attracts visitors from around the world. Designed by architect I.M. Pei, known for the Louvre pyramid, the museum hosts art exhibitions and was the venue for the Louis Vuitton Fashion Show in 2018.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sekai Kyusei Kyo (World Messianity / Johrei): A Japanese new religious movement founded by Mokichi Okada, the same spiritual lineage as Shumei. It shares an overlapping founder, similar 'light-based' spiritual healing practice (Johrei/Jyorei), and global center network.
• Tenrikyo: A Japanese new religious movement founded in the 19th century with a global mission network and a focus on spiritual healing and salvation, closely paralleling Shumei's lineage from a Japanese spiritual founder and worldwide center model.
• Findhorn Foundation: A Scottish-founded spiritual community that integrates spiritual practice with ecological farming and the arts. Shares Shumei's three-pillar combination of spiritual healing, sustainable agriculture, and art/beauty as a unified philosophy.
• Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University: A spiritual movement offering meditation and 'divine light'-style practices through a global network of centers, providing free spiritual education. Directly comparable to Shumei in mission, free-distribution model, and worldwide center footprint.
• Ananda (Ananda Sangha Worldwide): A global spiritual community centered on meditation and spiritual teachings, operating retreat centers and communities worldwide. Directly comparable to Shumei in offering free spiritual practices through a network of physical centers.

Emerging players

• Focolare Movement: A Catholic-inspired spiritual movement with a worldwide community focused on unity and dialogue across faiths. Comparable to Shumei in emphasizing inclusivity, harmony, and community-led spiritual gatherings in many countries.

Broad incumbents

• Bahá'í Faith (Bahá'í International Community): A global religious community with spiritual centers, educational programs, and an inclusive, non-dogmatic orientation. Comparable to Shumei in its universal, multi-faith positioning and worldwide center infrastructure.
• Soka Gakkai International: One of the largest and best-funded Japanese-originated Buddhist organizations, operating centers across 192 countries and territories. It competes with Shumei for spiritual seekers in the same global markets but at far greater scale and resources.
• Art of Living Foundation: A large international nonprofit offering spiritual and wellness programs through centers in over 150 countries. Comparable in mission and free community programming, but with substantially greater scale, brand recognition, and program monetization.

Others

• Miho Museum (for museum-program comparison): The museum itself is a flagship cultural asset for Shumei; comparable private museums with art collections and I.M. Pei-designed architecture (e.g., the Louvre's Pei Pyramid) offer relevant benchmarks for visitor programming and tourism potential.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/shumeifrance
• Instagraminstagram.com/shumei_germany?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shumei-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shumei Foundation