47. Hawayo Takata’s Central Role in the Cultural Transfer of Reiki from Japan to the West

Chujiro Hayashi, in the 1930s, is reluctant to take Hawayo Takata as a student. Eventually, prior to Pearl Harbour (1941) and his imminent death Hayashi recognises Takata as successor. Later she would say that he “laid down and went into transition” and that it was the most spiritual moment in her life.

I don’t believe it was suicide. Maybe some historian researcher will tell me otherwise but even so he still chose this moment. And in Japan that’s a very honourable death.

With his final instructions to Takata, Chujiro Hayashi saves Reiki in some way for the future. 

He said “…and so it goes out and whatever happens to Reiki will happen”. And actually what happened to Reiki fulfilled Mikao Usui’s dream that Reiki would touch the world.

Many Japansese are kept in US internment camps. Takata travels freely in Hawaii treating and teaching. Young US born Japanese men serve in Italy and return after the war. Amongst them is Phyllis Furumoto’s father. This generation goes from being slaves to running the state of Hawaii. In the 1950ies Takata is able to buy a plot of land in Honolulu.

For a Japanese woman who was born on a plantation to have done this through Reiki is amazing.