Canada Katori Shrine is not a public religious corporation, but a private space established and maintained entirely through the Chief Priest's personal assets and property.
Unlike traditional shrines and temples in Japan—which rely on tax exemptions, endowments, and community-wide parishioner support (danka systems) to maintain their grounds—we operate completely independently with zero external funding or donations.
Because we are not a public religious organization, we do not possess the legal or social obligation inherent to public facilities to accept general walk-in visitors. Instead, we must sustain the shrine's operations solely through the rituals and services we provide. Therefore, our pricing is carefully calculated to cover actual operational expenses, including import costs and taxes.
While our future vision is to grow this initiative into a more accessible, community-supported public space, we currently rely entirely on private operation and the self-sustainability of our services.
As noted above, this is strictly a private property rather than a public institution. Consequently, drop-in visits without prior arrangement are not accepted, and all visits are strictly by appointment or invitation only.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in helping us maintain a safe and sacred space.