The name Reiki comes from Usui Sensei, who used this ancient form of healing in his clinic, Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai, outside Tokyo. The clinic was opened in the beginning of 1900’s and it still exists today, a century later.

During the Meiji period a large number of hand healing techniques were taught in Japan but most of these groups disappeared after World War II. One of the more important groups called Taireidou, was lead by Morihei Tanaka, who was said to have been Usui Sensei's teacher. What exactly Usui Sensei learned from Mr. Tanaka is not known.

Mrs. Hawayo Takata brought Reiki to the west. She received her initial Reiki training in Japan, up to level two, Oku-Den, and received her Reiki Master from Mr. Chujiro Hayashi when he visited Hawaii in 1938.

In an effort to make Reiki acceptable in the west the practitioners presented Usui Sensei as a physician or a Christian monk, but later information has verified that he was a traditional Japanese businessman, loyal to his Emperor.
Usui Sensei also worked with programmed crystals, breathing exercises, scanning and other eastern healing methods in his clinic. However these methods where left out when Reiki was brought to the west.