The Students Who Carried the Torch
The People Usui Trained
Usui's teaching period was short. Only four years. But he was prolific. He trained approximately 2,000 students. That is an average of 500 students per year. It is a remarkable achievement.
Not all students were trained equally. The vast majority received basic training. They learned Reiki for themselves. They could not teach others. Only 16 to 20 students were trained to the senior level. These were the people who could carry Reiki forward.
The students came from all walks of life. Some were wealthy. Some were poor. Some were educated. Some were not. Usui taught anyone who wanted to learn. He believed Reiki was for everyone.
The Usui Student Tree
How Usui's students branched into different lineages.
Mikao Usui
Founder. Trained approximately 2,000 students.
Chujiro Hayashi
Naval officer. Systematized Reiki. Trained Takata. Western lineage.
Toshihiro Eguchi
Close student. Developed independent practice. Alternative branch.
Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai
Organization founded by Usui. Continues in Japan.
The Student Timeline
- Usui teaches approximately 2,000 students in Tokyo.Reiki spreads in Japan.
- Chujiro Hayashi trains with Usui and becomes a senior student.The Western lineage is established.
- Usui dies. His students continue teaching.The lineage continues.
- Hayashi opens a Reiki clinic and trains Hawayo Takata.Reiki begins to cross to the West.
- Usui's students' students have spread Reiki worldwide.The forest is still growing.
The Most Famous Student
Chujiro Hayashi: The Carrier of the Lineage
Chujiro Hayashi was a naval officer. He was a man of discipline and structure. He came to Usui in 1925, just one year before Usui died. He trained intensively.
After Usui's death, Hayashi systematized Usui's teaching. He created hand position charts. He wrote a manual. He opened a Reiki clinic in Tokyo.
Most importantly, he trained Hawayo Takata. Takata brought Reiki to the West. Without Hayashi, Reiki might have stayed in Japan.
The Alternative Branch
Toshihiro Eguchi: The Independent Teacher
Toshihiro Eguchi was another of Usui's senior students. He was a close student, one of the 16-20 senior-level practitioners.
After Usui's death, Eguchi developed his own laying-on-of-hands practice. It was derived from Usui's teaching but had its own character.
Eguchi represents one of the branches of Usui's lineage that did not go through Hayashi. His students continued his tradition.
The Institutional Lineage
Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai
Usui founded the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai in 1922. It was his organization. It was where he taught and trained students.
After Usui's death, the organization continued. It has had a succession of presidents. It still exists in Japan today.
The organization is less known in the West. It has been less open to outsiders. But it is the institutional lineage of Usui's teaching.
Usui planted many seeds. Some grew into trees. Those trees produced more seeds. The forest is still growing.
Key takeaways
The shortest useful version of this page.
Usui trained approximately 2,000 students in four years.
16-20 students were trained to the senior master level.
The most famous student was Chujiro Hayashi, who systematized Reiki and trained Takata.
Toshihiro Eguchi was another senior student who developed an independent practice.
The Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai continues in Japan as the institutional lineage.
The students of Usui carried Reiki forward after his death.
Frequently asked questions
How many students did Usui train?
Approximately 2,000 students. Of these, 16-20 were trained to the senior master level.
Who was Usui's most famous student?
Chujiro Hayashi, who systematized Reiki and trained Hawayo Takata.
Did Usui train Hawayo Takata?
No. Takata was trained by Hayashi, not by Usui directly. But the lineage is direct: Usui to Hayashi to Takata.
What happened to Usui's students after his death?
They continued teaching. Hayashi systematized Reiki and trained Takata. Others developed independent branches.
Does the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai still exist?
Yes. The organization Usui founded still exists in Japan. It has had a succession of presidents.
Sources
- Frank Arjava Petter, Reiki Fire, 1997.
- Bronwen and Frans Stiene, The Reiki Sourcebook, 2003.
- Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai records.
- Japanese historical research on Usui's students.
