Reiki History Timeline · The Reiki Community

6d ago (edited) in General 💬

Reiki History Timeline

Greetings everyone,

since some people asked, I would like to share with you a summary of - what I think - were the most important stations throughout the history of Reiki - and how these events eventually caused "different Styles" of Reiki. I gathered and summarized this information from these (highly recommended) books:

This is Reiki (Frank Arjava Petter)
Light on The Origins of Reiki (Tadao Yamaguchi)
Reiki and Japan (Masaki Nishina)

If you are only interested in the point in time of the major changes of Reiki, feel free to skip to the 1970s.

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TIMELINE:

1865 - Mikao Usui is born
1868 - Beginning of the period of emperor Meiji
1870 - Proclamation of State Shinto*:

*Shinto is the indigenous spirituality of Japan, focusing on the worship of kami — spirits or gods associated with natural phenomena, ancestors, and significant cultural sites. It emphasizes harmony with nature, ritual purity, and reverence for Japan's divine heritage. With emperor Meiji, Shinto was framed as a patriotic, nationalistic tradition, emphasizing loyalty to the Emperor and the divine nature of the Japanese state. The emperor was viewed as a divine figure, central to Japan's identity.

1908 - Japan restricts immigration to the U.S.
1914 - Japan sides with the Allied Powers in World War I

1914 - Mataji Kawakami introduces "Reiki Ryoho" as a healing method:

He publishes a book about it in 1919. In addition, there is evidence that there were at least 3 other Reiki styles developed before Usui (Reikan Tonetsu Ryoho, Senshin-ryu Reiki Ryoho, Seido Reisho-jutsu), none of which were spread and taught publicly though.

1922, March - Mikao Usui meditates on Mt. Kurama to find inner peace.

On the 21st day he passes out and awakes with the ability and awareness of Reiki.

1922, April - Usui creates the Reiki Ryoho Gakkai, (the Usui Healing System Learning Society).

To this day, the Gakkai remains a private and members-only association where the old style of Reiki is practised.

1923 - The Great Kanto Earthquake

Over 100.000 people killed and over 500.000 injured. Usui travels to Tokyo to help healing the victims, which contributes to the awareness of Reiki in Japan.

1925 - Chujiro Hayashi arrives at Usui's Reiki clinic and begins his Reiki training. He becomes a member of the Gakkai and a master of Reiki.

1926 - Mikao Usui dies from a stroke in Fukuyama

After Usui's death, Hayashi opens a Reiki clinic in Tokyo (Reiki Kenyukai), continuing Usui's work.

1931 - Hayashi leaves the Reiki Ryoho Gakkai.

Hayashi leaves the Gakkai due to disagreements with the member's attitudes, and the approach of teaching and practising Reiki. In contrast to the Gakkai, Hayashi believes Reiki should be accessible to all. He continues to teach and practice Reiki outside of the Gakkai.

1935 - Hawayo Takata arrives at Hayashi's Reiki center.

She is treated for about one year, before she starts her Reiki formation.

1937 - Takata travels to Hawaii promoting Reiki.
1938 - Takata is acknowledged a Reiki Master. She begins teaching in Hawaii together with Hayashi.

1938 - Chiyoko Yamaguchi begins her Reiki training with Hayashi in Daishoji,

This event is of crucial importance for the preservation of the original roots of Reiki. At this time Chiyoko doesn't know yet, that over 60 years later, she will be one of the very few last surviving Reiki practitioners of the 3rd Generation, helping to restore the knowledge of its practice before it was amended in the West.

1940 - Hayashi commits suicide through Harakiri (Seppuku).

It is assumed that he chose this path due to the inner conflicts caused by his role as a military officer in the second world war, having to coordinate attacks against the same people to whom he was teaching Reiki (the US).

1941 - Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, entering World War II

Hereafter, Japan mobilizes its population to gather forces for the military. All spiritual practices and groups were associated with pacifistic movements and therefore strictly forbidden. As of this time, Reiki was practised only secretly underground and the knowledge of it has slowly died out in public.

1945 - The U.S. takes control over Japan.

All alternative medicine methods and modalities that are not from the West have become illegal, contributing further to the oblivion of Reiki.

Meanwhile, Hawayo Takata has left Japan and contributed to the spread of Reiki in Hawaii.

1946 - As a Japanese-American, Takata moves to the US. She continues the spread of Reiki there.

Due to the political circumstances, Reiki went underground and with the years it became publicly unknown in Japan. The only few individuals who kept practising it secretly were the members of the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai and a few single families who received the formation from Hayashi, like the Yamaguchis.

Meanwhile, Reiki continued its spread in the West thanks to Hawayo Takata, but not without sacrifice. The following historical events are not well documented in terms of their exact date/year of occurrence but have happened mainly in the 70s throughout Takata's teaching period in the West:

REIKI IN THE 1970s:

Takata alters the teachings of Reiki and some details about Usui’s history.

Due to the political tensions during the U.S. post-war occupation of Japan, the mindset of the U.S. population was negative towards Japan. The U.S. and its people would reject anything that is too close to Japan, its spirituality or practices. This is most likely the reason why Takata had to remove several traditional aspects of Reiki in order to be able to continue its spread in the West. Reiki’s actual roots - originating from Shintoism - were replaced by more Christian-like principles. To be even more effective in her mission, she even amended the history of Mikao Usui, telling the public and her students that he was a Christian missionary.

THE CHANGES TAKATA MADE TO REIKI

Removal of Byosen Scanning
Reduction of the number of Reiju (attunements) and changes to how they are performed
Removal of several Japanese practices to cultivate Ki (like Hatsurei Ho, Seishin Toitsu, Mawashi, Okuri, etc.)
Removal of the "Reiki Massage" Technique (Ketsueki Kokan Ho)
Adding standard-hand-positions
Adding prayers
Pronunciation of a symbol's name three times, when using it
Removal of the teachings of Kotodama
and more.

FURTHER IMPORTANT EVENTS THROUGHOUT 70s

Takata begins charging 10.000,- US Dollars for the "Reiki Master Course" (equivalent of 60.000,- US Dollars today). This strongly limits the spread of Reiki.

Everyone who becomes a Reiki Master under Takata has to make an oath to charge the same amount (10.000,- US Dollars) when passing the mastership to their successors.

Takata introduces a "Master Symbol" (the Japanese kanji of the word "Daikomio", which is Japanese for "Great Enlightenment"). She adds this as a seal to the certificates of her Master students as the symbol of permission to pass Reiki to others. This symbol was never meant to be a ‘healing symbol’, nevertheless, after Takata’s passing, Reiki practitioners have started using it as such.

Takata dies in 1980. Before Takata deceased, she initiated a total of 22 Reiki Masters, one of which was Iris Ishikura (a relative of Takata). She was the only Master to "break the oath" and started charging reasonable prices for the Reiki Master Course. Thanks to Iris, Reiki continued its course after Takata in the 80s.

EARLY 1980s:

As a member of the Johrei Fellowship (a religion that practices spiritual healing), Iris mixes some Johrei elements with Reiki in her healing practise.
Iris passes the Reiki mastership to her daughter Ruby, and Arthur Robertson. Ruby does not continue teaching Reiki.
Arthur Robertson introduces further elements to Reiki (like Tibetan Symbols) and together with Iris they start teaching Reiki to hundreds of Americans.

LATE 1980s:

The New Age Movement brings oriental spiritual Concepts to the West

This is the beginning of the trend of mixing modern Western healing practices with ancient oriental concepts. It is at this point, that the Chakra-concept from India is blended with Reiki by New-Age oriented Reiki practitioners and masters. Later, crystals and ‘aura’ become part of the Reiki practise.

1990s:

The spread of Reiki combined with the trend of Western Reiki masters to modernize it, has caused the development of dozens of altered versions of Reiki (Karuna-Reiki, Kundalini-Reiki, Dragon-Reiki, Rainbow-Reiki, and many more). The original roots and teachings of Reiki become more and more difficult to trace.

1999 - Chiyoko Yamaguchi (one of Hayashi's very few surviving students and Reiki Masters) begins teaching Reiki the old way in Japan.

She and her son Tadao open the Jikiden Reiki Institute in Kyoto. "Jikiden" is the Japanese word for "directly taught" - meaning that it did not go through Western modifications.

2003 Chiyoko Yamaguchi passes away

Her son Tadao Yamaguchi takes over the Jikiden Reiki institute and continue teaching - to this day.

2010 until today - Spread of the history of Reiki and the return of the “old Reiki”

Thanks to the tireless research and dedication to the Reiki history (which you can find in the books from authors and Reiki Masters like Frank Arjava Petter, Masaki Nishina, and others), the almost forgotten roots of Reiki as it was practised in Japan, are coming back to light. Jikiden Reiki is becoming more and more popular in the West, giving practitioners the opportunity to learn it the Japanese way.

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