Matsuri Foundation of Canada

What Matsuri Foundation of Canada does

Matsuri Foundation of Canada is a registered Canadian charity (Charitable Registration 86837 5825 RR0001) that operates the Shin Mei Spiritual Centre on Knapp Island near Sidney, British Columbia. The Centre functions as the North American branch shrine of Tsubaki Grand Shrine near Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, Japan — one of Japan's oldest Shinto shrines, founded in 3 BCE and recognized as the ichinomiya (first-ranked shrine) of Mie Prefecture. The organization delivers Shinto spiritual practices including prayer, meditation, purification ceremonies (Misogi Shuhō), forest bathing (Shinrin Yoku), walking meditation (Kinhin), and Gokitō ceremonies (baby blessings, weddings, funerals, health prayers, removal of obstacles), serving spiritual seekers, nature and wellness enthusiasts, and cultural learners across North America and international online participants. The property includes three Shinto shrines (Tsubaki Dai Jinja North America, Shin Mei Jinja, Kinomori Jinja), a Jangchub Chorten (Enlightenment Stupa) built by Khenpo Karpo of Bhutan in 2002, and the 15-acre Chinju no Mori sacred forest. Rev. Ann Evans, the founder and Guji (High Priest), has 25 years of training under Tsubaki Grand Shrine Chief Priests and is also an ANFT-certified Forest Therapy Guide; Guji Yukiyasu Yamamoto (97th generation Chief Priest of Tsubaki Grand Shrine) sits on the Board of Directors.

The revenue model combines four streams: (1) donations and charitable contributions, including the Friends of Matsuri membership at a recommended $100/year or $10/month; (2) e-commerce sales of omamori (protective amulets), ofuda (shrine talismans), kamidana (home shrines), books, bells, and ema (votive plaques) priced from $3 to $250, shipped worldwide; (3) program and ceremony fees such as the CA$25 Omairi shrine visit (including water taxi); and (4) the Otakiage purification service for returned used shrine items. Distribution is split between the on-island facility (accessed by water taxi from Canoe Cove Marina) and online channels (Zoom events, e-commerce). The technology stack is purely operational SaaS — Donorbox for donation processing, Mailchimp for the "Bright Reflections" newsletter, Zoom for remote participation, and EventCalendarApp for scheduling — with no proprietary technology, AI/ML capabilities, or software product.

The go-to-market is community-led: the Centre relies on regular in-person ceremonies, scheduled online programs, and content marketing via website articles and organic social (Facebook @ShinMeiCentre, Instagram @matsurican) to recruit donors and event attendees. Strategic partnerships anchor the offering — ANFT for forest therapy certification, Sea Star EcoCruising for water taxi access, and Tsubaki Grand Shrine as the parent institutional authority. The organization is not a technology company and has no disclosed headcount, making it fundamentally a small, mission-driven nonprofit with diversified but small-ticket revenue lines and a single physical site whose access is constrained by water-taxi scheduling.

Name

Matsuri Foundation of Canada

Legal name

Matsuri Foundation of Canada

Website

https://matsuri.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Matsuri Foundation of Canada operates the Shin Mei Spiritual Centre on Knapp Island, BC, the North American branch shrine of Japan's Tsubaki Grand Shrine. The registered charity delivers Shinto rituals, ceremonies, forest bathing, and meditation programs funded by donations, e-commerce sales, and program fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and Spiritual Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (81311), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Religious Organizations (813110)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAJAA

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAJAL

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

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYTHAJAHAA

Yoga & Meditation Experiences (Studio Classes, Guided Meditation, Mindfulness)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Wellness & Spa Experiences (Retreats, Thermal Baths, Yoga)

Keywords

• Shinto spiritual services
• Religious ceremonies
• Forest bathing programs
• Spiritual merchandise
• Meditation retreats

Headquarters

HQ city

Sidney

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a registered Canadian charity (Registration 86837 5825 RR0001), the foundation receives donations from supporters. Friends of Matsuri program offers annual or monthly donation options with member benefits including prayers, guide books, and access to online events.
2. E-commerce Product Sales: Sale of Shinto spiritual merchandise including omamori (protective amulets), ofuda (shrine talismans), ema (prayer plaques), books on Shinto practice, bells, bracelets, shrine furniture and accessories. Prices range from $3 to $65 USD.
3. Program and Ceremony Fees: Fees for scheduled programs and events such as Forest Bathing, Misogi and Choahi ceremonies, Omairi shrine visits, and community service events. Omairi visits priced at CA$25.
4. Otakiage Purification Service: Accepts returned used shrine items for ritual purification ceremony conducted mid-January. Donations for the service are accepted but not required.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Matsuri Foundation of Canada operates Shin Mei Spiritual Centre on Knapp Island near Sidney, BC, providing Shinto spiritual services including prayer, meditation, purification rituals (Misogi), forest bathing, morning prayer (Chohai), ceremonies (Gokitō), and educational programs. It also sells Shinto spiritual merchandise through its e-commerce store and accepts charitable donations to sustain the centre and Chinju no Mori sacred forest.

Product overview

Matsuri Foundation of Canada operates Shin Mei Spiritual Centre, a Shinto spiritual renewal facility on Knapp Island, BC, serving as the North American branch shrine of Tsubaki Grand Shrine, Japan. The centre offers a portfolio of spiritual programs including Forest Bathing (Shinrin Yoku), Misogi water purification, walking meditation (Kinhin), and various Shinto ceremonies. Its product suite comprises three Shinto shrines (Tsubaki Dai Jinja North America, Shin Mei Jinja, and Kinomori Jinja) alongside a retail store selling traditional Japanese spiritual items including Omamori protective amulets, Ofuda shrine tablets, Kamidana home shrines, Shinto books, Ema votive plaques, bells, bracelets, and ceremonial items. The centre also offers membership through its Friends of Matsuri program and the Otakiage ritual purification service for returning used shrine items.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shin Mei Spiritual Centre (In-person spiritual centre access) The Knapp Island-based spiritual centre offering in-person Shinto prayer, meditation, and access to three shrines (Tsubaki Dai Jinja North America, Shin Mei Jinja, Kinomori Jinja) and Chinju no Mori sacred forest for visitors seeking spiritual renewal.
• Forest Bathing (Shinrin Yoku) Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Trees emit phytoncides that boost natural killer (NK) cells in humans, fighting tumor and virus-infected cells
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Tsubaki Grand ShrineflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerTsubaki Grand Shrine near Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, Japan is the parent organization. Founded in 3 BCE, it is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan and is the ichinomiya (first shrine) of Mie Prefecture. The vision of Sendai Guji Yukitaka Yamamoto was to make Shinto accessible to people of the western world. Guji Yukiyasu Yamamoto (97th generation) continues the tradition of introducing Shinto to the international community and serves on the Board of Directors of Matsuri Foundation.
• Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShin Mei Spiritual Centre offers Forest Bathing (Forest Therapy/Shinrin Yoku) guided by ANFT-certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guides. ANFT provides the certification framework for forest therapy guides based on the tradition of Shinrin Yoku. The Centre's forest bathing experiences take place in Chinju no Mori (Sacred Forest) on Knapp Island.
• Sea Star EcoCruisingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSea Star EcoCruising provides water taxi transportation services from Canoe Cove Marina to Knapp Island. The water taxi operates on days with scheduled events (approximately 15-minute crossing). The service is fully enclosed and protected in inclement weather, with a 12-passenger maximum.
• Khenpo Karpo of BhutanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKhenpo Karpo of Bhutan designed and built the Jangchub Chorten (Enlightenment Stupa) at Shin Mei Spiritual Centre in 2002. The 30-foot stupa contains thousands of sacred artifacts and relics.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Chinju no Mori Jinja: Note: included as the integrated forest shrine at the same Centre — comparable as a forest-enclosed Shinto shrine within the Matsuri Foundation offering, representing the most direct comparable site by structure.
• Spirit Rock Meditation Center: Insight Meditation retreat centre in Northern California offering residential and day-long programs in a natural setting — comparable as a donation-supported spiritual retreat organization combining meditation, ceremony, and nature.
• Tassajara Zen Mountain Center: San Francisco Zen Center's remote mountain retreat in Carmel Valley, California offering residential meditation retreats with limited access — comparable as an isolated-location spiritual retreat with restricted physical access.
• Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America: The original North American Shinto shrine founded by Guji Yukitaka Yamamoto in Stockton, California in 1987 — the parent organization's first western branch, comparable as a Shinto practice and ceremonial site serving Western practitioners.
• Shambhala Mountain Center: Buddhist meditation and retreat centre in Colorado offering residential retreats, contemplative programming, and forest-based wellness — directly comparable as a sacred-land meditation and retreat destination with a defined spiritual lineage.

Broad incumbents

• Omega Institute for Holistic Studies: Wellness and personal development retreat centre in Rhinebeck, New York with workshops, residential programs, and a strong nature component — comparable as a retreat-venue business combining wellness, spirituality, and outdoor programming.
• Esalen Institute: Iconic holistic education and retreat centre in Big Sur, California known for experiential workshops, meditation, and natural hot springs — comparable as a long-running donation-supported retreat destination blending spirituality and wellness.
• Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health: Major yoga, wellness, and retreat centre in Stockbridge, Massachusetts offering residential programs, teacher trainings, and nature-based programming — comparable as a large hybrid spiritual/wellness retreat venue with broad North American reach.
• SGI-USA (Soka Gakkai International): Large Japanese-origin Buddhist organization in North America operating community centres, meditation programs, and cultural events — comparable as an Asian spiritual tradition adapted to Western audiences through community programming and donations.

Regional players

• Shoreline Center for Healing and Wellness: Pacific Northwest wellness and retreat programming with meditation and forest-based practices — regional overlap with Shin Mei's BC location and similar wellness/forest bathing positioning for Western Canadian audiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ShinMeiCentre
• Instagraminstagram.com/matsurican

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 Matsuri Foundation of Canada