HISTORY OF CHUJIRO HAYASHI
Chujiro Hayashi was born September 15, 1880 in Tokyo. In 1902, Hayashi graduated from the Japan Naval Academy and served during the Russo-Japanese War from February 4, 1902 to the end of the war on September 5, 1906. In 1918, he was Director of Ominato Port Defence Station. Hayashi was married to Chie Hayashi and they had two children, Tadayoshi (born 1903) and Kiyoe (born 1910). Sometime between 1922 and 1926 (the years of Usui's clinic operations), Hayashi learned reiki from Usui. Later in the 1930s, Hayashi opened up his own reiki clinic, Hayashi Shiki Reiki Ryoho. (It is rumoured in Japan that he left the Gakkai due to disagreements. It is known that Hayashi made changes to what he learned from Usui and that these changes created a system of reiki different from what was taught at the Gakkai. One of the changes made was possibly the division of the Shinpiden level into two parts - "shihan-kaku" (assistant teacher) and "shihan" (teacher). Therefore, it is likely that he went his own way so that he could practice his own form of reiki.) Some years later, Hayashi predicted the coming of World War 2 and seeing no way to avoid being drafted (he was against fighting now that he was a healer and he was opposed to conventional medicine), he decided to end his own life peacefully. He died at his villa in Atami, a hot spring resort near Mount Fuji, in the presence of his family on May 11, 1940. After Hayashi's death, his group died out. However, his wife, Chie Hayashi continued to teach reiki after the war.1 Contrary to Takata's story, Hayashi did not ask her to be his successor and she was not the only woman he taught. According to Chiyoko Yamaguchi, Chie Hayashi was the successor. Hayashi's reiki techniques can be found in The Hayashi Reiki Manual. This can be compared to Usui's techniques found in The Original Reiki Handbook.
Following is a partial list of some of Hayashi's students:
Chie Hayashi (his wife)
Chiyoko Yamaguchi (deceased)
Hawayo Takata
Souoh Matsu
Tatsumi (deceased)
FOOTNOTES
1. It is known that Chie Hayashi taught Shinpiden level to Tatseyi Nagao. This information was provided by his daughter, Yoshi Kimura.)
LIST OF SOURCES
Empowerment Through Reiki by Paula Horan
The Power of Reiki: An Ancient Hands-on Healing Technique by Tanmaya Honervogt
Reiki: A Piatkus Guide by Penelope Quest
Essential Reiki: A Complete Guide to an Ancient Healing Art by Diane Stein
The Spirit of Reiki: The Complete Handbook of the Reiki System by Walter Lubeck, Frank Arjava Petter, William Lee Rand
The Hayashi Reiki Manual by Frank Arjava Petter, Tadao Yamaguchi, Chujiro Hayashi
Reiki Level 1 Training Manual given to me by Nancy Peel
http://angelreiki.nu/level1/level1.htm
http://www.reiki.org/FAQ/HistoryOfReiki.html
Copyright C.J. Chow October 2004
