The Roots of Reiki
Reiki originated in Japan though it is felt that it has actually existed for thousands of years, since both Buddha and Jesus were said to have used some form of hands-on healing. There are three main people in the story of how Reiki reached the west from Japan.
Dr. Mikao Usui (1865-1926)

He was born in Nagoya Japan and he studied many forms of healing, medicine, psychology, religion and fortune telling.
At the age of 49 when his business was failing he traveled to Mt. Kurama and enrolled in a 21-day training course sponsored by the Temple. It is believed that the training included fasting, meditation, chanting & prayers. During his 21-day meditation retreat he had a vision of all the Reiki symbols and he received the information on how to use them.
He opened a clinic in Kyoto working with the poor people, eventually moving to Tokyo where he started the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai. This means the Usui Reiki Healing Society. He taught classes and gave treatments at his clinic until his reputation as a healer spread all over Japan and he began traveling so that he could treat and teach more people.
He directly taught more than 2,000 students and initiated 16 teachers including Dr. Hayashi.
Dr. Chujiro Hayashi (1878-1940)

He worked with Dr. Usui and eventually opened his own clinic in Tokyo where he also taught classes.
Over time he became a respected master and many of his students received their Reiki training in return for working in his clinic. He kept detailed records of the treatments that were given, and used this information to create 'standard' hand positions for different ailments.
He initiated 13 teachers including Mrs. Takata.
Mrs. Hawayo Takata (1900-1980)

Mrs. Takata was the daughter of Japanese-born parents who grew up in Hawaii on a sugar plantation. When her sister died she went to Japan to inform her parents and seek medical attention. She suffered from lung problems, asthma, stomach ailments and severe depression. She was completely healed of all illness in Dr. Hayashi’s clinic in Tokyo in 1935 after 4 months of daily treatments.
Between 1970 and her death in 1980 Mrs. Takata initiated 22 teachers.