The following gives a synopsis of Reiki’s history and the emergence of reiki-conciliation. (latest update 2/2026)
Japan – Hawaii – the globe
On 14th December 1980 Hawayo Takata died. In the years after WW II she was single-handedly responsible for a transfer that took the healing and spiritual practice “Reiki” from the war torn Japanese culture to Hawaii and the Western world. Her teacher was Dr. Chujiro Hayashi (✝1940) who in turn was taught by Mikao Usui (✝1926) who is the founder of the practice.
It is Takata’s achievement that Reiki expanded over the years to become a global success. So much so that Reiki-“offspring” of hers brought Reiki back to Japan, giving cause to the renaissance of what is nowadays often referred to as “Japanese Reiki”. In this process, Western researchers unveiled evidence that brought clarity to Takata’s stories. The discovery of Usui’s memorial stone and the publication by Frank A. Petter in 1996 are of significant historic importance.
22 potential successors: polarization
In her final years Hawayo Takata taught 22 Reiki Masters. In 1981 there was a dispute amongst them as to who would be Takata’s successor. Dr. Barbara Weber Ray (1941-2020) claimed the throne but a majority recognised Taktata’s granddaughter as successor, Phyllis Lei Furumoto.
In the ’80s two organisations polarised the Reiki community: The Radiance Technique (originally AIRA) around Weber and the Alliance around Furumoto. This caused many Reiki practitioners to form their own associations and schools, thus fragmentising the scene. While Radiance and Alliance had a degree of structure, some of the uncontrolled proliferation threatened the reputation of Reiki.
The need for recognition of Reiki in institutions, academia and legislation became apparent. This preconditioned mutual recognition among the proponents and contradictory groups.
Update February 2026
An impression of our less public activities is best gained from Building Bridges. In the visible realm of our activities, these are most notable:
- From 2024 endeavours were under way for our second Interview Documentary, launched on 8th March 2026.
- 2020 to 2023: the RTalks dominated.
- 2020 Re-launch of this website. See video.
- 2017 Our first Interview Documentary is released.
Common ground and a new spirit
Most Reiki people agree on a central characteristic of Reiki: its simplicity. This characteristic opened the door in many countries for Reiki. In 2004, in Germany, the constitutional court stated that Reiki therapists need no medical training and are permitted to practice professionally.
In India and South America, governments included “alternative” or “complementary” therapies as part of their National health systems … Reiki amongst them. In Australia Reiki had entered academia as part of professional education.
These developments paved the ground for representatives of varying Reiki-origins and convictions to start meeting in a new spirit of cooperation. In Germany, it gave birth to ProReiki, an association for professional Reiki practitioners and teachers that has found international recognition in the short period of its existence since 2010.
In 2014, Phyllis Furumoto became honory member of ProReiki. In her acceptance speech, she showed her openness towards different practices and an altogether conciliatory spirit. This was an inspirational moment for the making of Reconciliation.
Acknowledgement
Preconceived opinions and dissonances of past conflicts sometimes linger. My research for Reconciliation since summer 2015 has confirmed that some men and women in the modern unfolding of the Reiki history still harbour pain and unfulfilled longing for release of such remnants of the past. I would like to acknowledge these people here, in the hope that the work as presented on this site may bring answers and relief.
New Dawn
In 2026, with the submission of the documentary RECONCILIATION – Provoke and Evolve, I feel that one turn of the spiral of my activities for reiki-conciliation has come to completion. Burdening remnants of the past seem to barely touch the current Reiki generations. This is precisely what my work hopes to support.
Ironically, new spheres of dissonance emerge. Liberation from past blemishes seems to free capacity for new explorations. Hopefully, we can address them without repeating the sins of our forebears.
If we can uphold the inclusive, collaborative spirit now visible in different arenas, I am confident that we will learn to hold contradictory thoughts in mind and heart at the same time, and prove ourselves to be evolving beings
reiki-conciliation
Under this name all my endeavours in the pursuit of my vision are bundled. I sign solely responsible and am very grateful to my team and our sponsors. See about us & our vision.
René Vögtli
