Hayashi Reiki
For some teachers of Reiki, Hayashi Reiki is a term to describe the methods taught by Chuijro Hayashi that are different in methodology to the Style of Dr. Usui. Hayashi was a student of Dr. Usui for only a period of 10 months in 1925. Notably, Hayashi is considered by many teachers of the Reiki Alliance to be the only successor of Dr. Usui, however, research clearly differs in this opinion.

To place this style in greater perspective, the following is an overview of the life of Hayashi Sensei and his style of Reiki, which emerged as a result of his teachings.

Chuijro Hayashi was born in 1879. Some time in 1925 Chuijro Hayashi met Dr. Usui. Prior to this, Chuijro was a commander in the imperial navy where he also gained training in Western Allopathic and Eastern Chinese Medicine.

In June of 1925, Hayashi received his teachers training in Dr. Usui’s system. Some sources say that Chujiro Hayashi was also Methodist Christian* and being so, did not gain the complete transmission of Usui’s Reiki system. {*Hayashi’s religious background was confirmed by Mrs Yamaguchi. Mrs Yamaguchi, was a student of Hayashi and she confirmed that he was a Christian of the Methodist church. She is alive today and living in Japan.} Whilst others sources say that he was a Soto Zen practitioner who utilized the practices of Shinto. For all we know, he may have been both as Japan was a melting pot of numerous religions and spiritual ideals.

On March 9th, 1926, Dr. Usui died. Counter to the story promulgated by Mrs Takata, Dr. Hayashi was not considered, nor chosen as Dr. Usui’s direct and only successor. Shortly after Dr. Usui’s passing the Reiki Gakkai was formed and Hayashi was said to be involved with this learning society.
Later in 1931, Hayashi was also said to have left the society as a result of a dispute with the then chairman of the society, Taketomi Sensei. This may have been due to the significant changes he made to Usui’s Reiki system. Hayashi continued to work at Dr. Usui’s Reiki clinic, which was called the Usui Memorial Clinic. Hayashi soon renamed the clinic calling it ‘Hayashi Reiki Kenkyu kai’ or Hayashi Reiki Research Society. He also made significant changes to Dr. Usui’s practices. Many of his former students and colleagues left Hayashi’s school because of the changes he had made to Dr. Usui’s original teaching style.

Hayashi continued to teach his style of Reiki and began teaching students the third degree in his system or Shinpiden level. Before his death on May 10th, 1940 he had attuned 13 students to the teacher level, including Mrs. Takata in 1938. Some of his noted students include:

• Chie Hayashi, Chujiro’s wife, who continued running his clinic and later became the second President of the Hayashi Reiki Kenkyu kai’.
• Chiyoko Yamaguchi, who studied with Hayashi in 1938. Mrs. Yamaguchi now teaches her own branch of Reiki called ‘Jikiden Reiki’ in Kyoto, Japan.
• Tatsumi, who trained with Hayashi in 1927 to become a Teacher. Tatsumi learnt a series of hand positions which were formulated to cover specific acupuncture points and subsequent areas of energy flow over the body. His training finished in 1931 due to a dispute over the changes Hayashi has made to Usui’s system.
• Takeuchi Sensei. A Zen Monk who trained Seiji Takamori. Seiji later discovered historical origins of Reiki in Vajrayana Buddhism, forming what was to become Reiki Jin Kei Do.

As a result of Hayashi’s influence the system of Reiki had already changed significantly from Dr. Usui’s original teachings. Consequently, Mrs. Takata inherited Hayashi’s system under the Usui name and thus propagated his teachings as the Usui System of Natural Healing.

As a result of all these changes and mis-information, a new student to Reiki will often encounter considerable confusion regarding Reiki lineage and styles. Ironically, the title ‘The Usui System of Natural Healing’ or ‘Usui Shiki Ryoho’, used by Reiki teachers in the west actually indicates the system of Reiki belonging to Mrs. Takata and Dr. Hayashi.