Reiki History - Dr. Chujiro Hayashi

Dr. Hayashi was one of the sixteen teachers training by Usui Sensei. He was a retired naval officer and a medical doctor, still on reserve status. Dr. Hayashi received his Reiki Master’s training in 1925 and became Dr. Mikao Usui’s successor, the second Reiki Grand Master in the line of tradition. He ran a Reiki clinic in Tokyo until 1940, where unusually severe cases could be treated with Reiki being applied “round the clock”. A patient would frequently receive Reiki from several practitioners at a time. Reiki healers also went to the homes of the people who could not come to the clinic. It was to this clinic that Mrs. Hawayo Takata was directed in 1935. It is said that Dr. Chujiro Hayashi was the last Reiki Master trained by Dr. Usui.

In the year 1938, Dr. Hayashi visited Hawaii where he initiated Mrs. Hawayo Takata to Reiki Teacher’s degree and announced that she was one of the thirteen Reiki Masters trained by him. Later Mrs. Hawayo Takata became Dr. Hayashi’s successor and spread Reiki in the West.

The effects of the Second World War and the death of Dr. Hayashi on May 10, 1941, put an end to his work. According to Hiroshi Doi’s book, "Modern Reiki Method for Healing", page 185, the correct year of death of Dr. Chujiro is 1940.

It is said that the hand positions being taught now were introduced by Dr. Hayashi Prior to him, Dr. Usui primarily used head positions and the problem area/s only, not the positions on the limbs. Whatever be the reason for adopting full body hand positions, they do seem to give a better flow of energy and more satisfying treatment session.

It is also said that method of initiation using Reiki symbols was introduced by Dr. Hayashi to make the process quicker and easier.