The Facts About Reiki in Japan: Its History and Current Status

Reiki is a relaxation technique that has become increasingly popular within the past few decades. Reiki originated in Japan, but is it popular in Japan?

Reiki is not popular in Japan. Since World War II, the ancient healing technique has remained unknown to most Japanese citizens. However, ever since the use of Reiki has increased in the west, the western Reiki technique is slowly returning to Japan.

Since the ancient healing practice of Reiki is very popular in the west, it is not surprising if you have heard of it before. If you are curious about Reiki’s origins and popularity, read on. This article will cover a few key questions about Reiki, including its popularity in Japan, what Reiki exactly is, and how popular Reiki is in the west.

What Is Reiki?

Reiki is a common form of healing. It is also a popular relaxation technique. The main idea behind it is that there is a life force energy that Reiki masters and practitioners can tap into. They then share this energy with you by placing their palms in various, non-invasive areas of the body.

Reiki can be a bit confusing at first.

While many believe that Reiki is a religion, this is not true. Reiki is not a religion, but it does encourage people to live in harmony with each other. The practice is also attractive to people since you do not have to believe in anything to have a treatment and experience its benefits.

According to Reiki’s teachings and beliefs, if a person lacks sufficient levels of this life force energy, they will experience things like trouble sleeping, slower healing, general unhappiness or restlessness, and a sense of being off-center with the universe and themselves.

The technique is supposed to encourage healing and calmness in the patient. Many past patients have declared that the treatment has helped treat health conditions such as headaches and anxiety. Another common effect people experience after a Reiki treatment is a better night’s sleep. Many patients say that they fall asleep quicker and that they sleep deeply.

To learn more about the Reiki technique, check out this book, The Original Reiki Handbook of Dr. Mikao Usui.

Did Reiki Come From Japan?

The ancient healing technique of Reiki came from a Japanese man named Usui Sensei. While there were other forms of reiki healing already in place before Usui Sensei, he was the one who developed the particular style of Reiki that is famous today. Usui Reiki, the technique that Usui Sensei developed, grew in popularity in Japan in the 1920s, while the other forms eventually fell out of practice.

When Was Reiki Popular in Japan?

By 1925, the practice of Reiki was very famous in Japan. Usui Sensei had to build a larger clinic in Tokyo since his first Reiki clinic was too small for its demand. The Reiki master himself taught the technique to over 2000 Japanese citizens during that period and trained other Reiki masters so they could teach others as well.

The practice of Reiki decreased in use around the 1940s and did not show up again predominantly until 1999. A woman named Hawayo Takata was still practicing Reiki and continued to teach lessons of the technique.

Did the Practice of Reiki Die in Japan?

The use of Reiki substantially decreased after World War II. The United States controlled Japan after the war, and during this time, the states declared that all forms of healing had to be licensed.

Reiki masters did not want their beloved healing practice controlled by the American government, so they took their practice underground. The underground Reiki community is why Reiki’s general practice and popularity significantly decreased during that time in Japan.

Even after the war, the few masters still practiced charged up to $10,000 to obtain a Master Level in Reiki. The high cost of training is also something that would have contributed to the slow spread of Reiki after the war.

Due to these events, the traditional Reiki technique is not as widely known and practiced as it once was. It is not common to come across a reiki master in Japan now, and the practice is still struggling to reach its former glory.

Is Reiki Popular in the West?

In the past few decades, the treatment of Reiki has slowly grown in popularity in western culture. Over 1.2 million Americans have tried the practice, and the number continues to grow. You can easily find a reiki practitioner in thousands of North American cities, and there are many places to learn the ancient technique.

Not only does the public use it, but American hospitals also use the ancient technique. Thousands of nurses across America have trained in Reiki’s healing practices, and over 60 U.S. hospitals implement the practice in their healing plans for patients. Eight-hundred hospitals also offer Reiki classes for nurses, doctors, and any public interested in learning.

Do Doctors Support Reiki in Hospitals?

Since so many hospitals offer Reiki treatment and classes, many would think doctors and medical experts support the practice. However, this is not always the case. Many medical experts mention that there is no substantial evidence that supports the effectiveness of the treatment.

According to a study by Karin Olson, John Hanson, and Mary Michaud, a reiki treatment helped reduce pain in several cancer patients. Still, it did not lower the dosage of opioid pain management used by the patients. While there is some evidence of reiki and pain management, many medical experts are still not convinced of the technique’s validity.

Has the Practice of Reiki Returned to Current Day Japan?

The practice of Reiki became popular in the west before it had a chance to grow in popularity in Japan again. Before the war, over one million people used and practiced Reiki in Japan. However, since the war, most Japanese people do not know what Reiki is.

Even so, Reiki is slowly reappearing in Japan because of its increasing popularity in the west. However, the techniques are westernized and have lost some core characteristics they once had before the war. Since the west influences Reiki in current-day Japan, some Japanese Reiki practitioners try to incorporate some traditional techniques.

Due to several reasons, the healing technique may never be as it once was. Western culture has changed the ancient treatment, and it may be difficult for Japanese healers to rediscover the original teachings of Usui Sensei. Even so, some practitioners are happy that it reappears in its place of origin, no matter how slow it is spreading.

Final Thoughts

Reiki was very popular in Japan during the 1920s. During that time, a larger Reiki clinic had to replace the smaller, original clinic to satisfy the technique’s demand. Over one million Japanese utilized the treatment. However, Reiki almost became extinct after World War II. With the American government controlling all healing practices in Japan, reiki practitioners kept their technique underground and out of the government’s eye.

Since then, Reiki has not been popular in Japan. The majority of Japanese people haven’t heard of the practice. Since its increased popularity in the west, Reiki has slowly been growing again in Japan.