Shumei’s New York Center is located on the second floor of 165 Elizabeth Street, between Kenmare and Spring, where Chinatown meets SoHo. To the south, one finds Chinese culture and culinary delights and to the to the north, boutiques and art galleries.

The members of the New York Center are a diverse group, about sixty percent Chinese, thirty percent Japanese and other Asian groups, and about ten percent non-Asian. We all join together to celebrate Shumei’s philosophy of diversity.

The Shumei America New York Center was founded on April 24, 1982. In the beginning, it was all because a Shinji Shumeikai Hong Kong member named Hop Yung came to America to spread Jyorei right in the heart of New York City’s Chinatown. At first, she stayed with a friend, Cheung Tei Wong and her daughter, Yuk Sim Tsao who became part of the first group of ten people receiving the ‘Ohikari’1 from Sensei Eugene Imai in 1982. Even though Mrs. Hop Yung was well into her middle age, she had so much energy that she went out every day to give Jyorei to all people in need. Because of the spread of Light, a lot of people were touched. Soon after, thirty more people received Ohikaris. A Home Center with the picture of our founder, Meishusama was soon established for people to gather together to exchange Jyorei. Hop Yung planted the seed and the members of the Shumei America New York Center just carried the torch and it started to grow.

By the mid-1980s, the Shumei America New York Center was ready to have its own official location instead of being a Home Center. The Scroll was enshrined at a rental apartment on the second floor on East Broadway in New York City’s Chinatown. Bao Hing Tsui, an Assistant Sensei from the Shinji Shumeikai Hong Kong Center traveled back and forth between America and Hong Kong to help managing our Center and its growth. When the membership quickly grew, there was a need to move to a bigger space. Thus in 1990, the New York Center acquired its permanent and current location by purchasing the entire second floor at 165 Elizabeth Street, between Kenmare and Spring Streets. Nowadays, our membership has reached beyond one thousand people. Among our members, we all come from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. But we all support the three main Shumei activities: Jyorei, Natural Agriculture, and Art and Beauty.

We are sincere in building Heaven on Earth by following the Shumei philosophy and by praying for peace on Earth.

1. An ohikari is a miniature sacred emblem worn by all Shumei members when giving Jyorei. It consists of a small parchment bearing artistic calligraphy by Meishusama and worn about the neck. The silk pouch in which an ohikari is held must be kept clean and changed regularly.