Q & A: WHO INVENTED REIKI?
- Fiona Phillips | Certified Japanese Reiki Shihan (Teacher)
- Mar 22, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 10, 2025
Reiki, a, energy healing practice utilising vital life-force energy ('Reiki) traces its roots to Japan. The story begins with Mikao Usui, the founder of Reiki and a Japanese lay Pureland Buddhist.
Born on August 15, 1865, in the village of Taniai, Japan, Usui's early life is relatively unknown.
In his late adult life, Legend has it that Usui, in a quest for deeper spiritual understanding, embarked on a gruelling 21-day retreat on Mount Kurama, a sacred mountain near Kyoto, seeking enlightenment. During this profound spiritual experience, Usui underwent a spiritual awakening as well as receiving the gift of Reiki healing energy. In this way, we can say Reiki was not 'invented' but rather, was a gift bestowed on Usui at the time of his enlightenment.
Following his enlightenment, he devoted his life to sharing the gift of Reiki with others, which was quite extraordinary. At the time, it was customary for the Japanese to keep such gifts to themselves in order to secure the prosperity of their family. Instead, Usui sought to spread this miraculous gift of healing and founded the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai (Usui Reiki Healing Society) in Tokyo, where he taught and practiced Reiki healing. His teachings emphasized simplicity, compassion, and the importance of self-care in maintaining health and well-being.
Through the ritual of "Reiju," Usui was able to pass on the gift of Reiki to his students, so that they could utilise this gift for themselves. Reiju, as a ritual, is a form of spiritual empowerment or attunement that allows individuals to connect with and channel universal life force energy for healing purposes. He taught advanced students who attained the level of Shihan (Teacher) or 'Master' as coined in the West, how to perform Reiju, so they may pass it down to their own students. This is was is commonly referred to as Reiki Lineage. For this reason, in order to pass on Reiki, it must be passed down in person, by Teacher to student, just as Usui did to his students. This is why online courses aren't recommended.
Usui died in 1936, merely 4 years after receiving the Gift of Reiki and his legacy endured through his dedicated students. Among his notable disciples was Chujiro Hayashi, a naval officer who played a pivotal role in the dissemination of Reiki beyond Japan's borders by teaching the only Westerner, at the time, Hawayo Takata. This would come to be one of the greatest decisions in the history of Reiki.
CONCLUSION
In answer to the question of who invented Reiki, the technical answer is no one. Reiki was not invented, it was a gift discovered by Mikao Usui at the time of his enlightenment upon Mount Kurama. Thanks to his generosity to share such a gift and to empower others with that gift of healing, to this day, Reiki continues to offer solace, healing, and spiritual growth to countless individuals around the world, a testament to its enduring power and universal appeal.
Reiki in Melbourne
If you have any questions, or want to chat to more about Reiki please contact me and we can arrange a time to chat. If you would like to book a Reiki session in Melbourne (or distance Reiki worldwide), you can book an appointment here or if you would like to learn Reiki yourself, sign up for a Reiki course here. I look forward to connecting with you for Reiki!
Warmest,
Fiona x
Fiona Phillips
Certified Traditional Japanese Reiki Shihan (Teacher) and Practitioner
Trained by the Jikiden Reiki & Arjava Petter Institutes
Within The Space | Reiki Melbourne
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