Traditional Japanese Reiki and Western Reiki: What's the Difference?

If you are considering learning Reiki, you may have noticed that courses are offered under a variety of names: Usui Reiki, Usui Reiki Ryōhō, Traditional Japanese Reiki, Usui Shiki Ryōhō and Western Reiki, while others simply use the name Reiki.

Although many of these approaches share their origins in the teachings of Mikao Usui, the systems through which Reiki is taught and practised have developed over time.

Understanding a little about the history of Reiki and the names used to describe the different approaches will help you make a more informed choice about your Reiki training.

Where did the different approaches come from?

Reiki originated in Japan in the early twentieth century through the teachings of Mikao Usui (1865–1926), whose system became known as Usui Reiki Ryōhō.

Among Usui's students was Chūjirō Hayashi, a retired officer in the Japanese Navy, who later established his own Reiki clinic and developed his approach to practising and teaching Reiki. It was through Hayashi that Hawayo Takata, a Japanese-American woman living in Hawaii, came to learn Reiki. After receiving treatment at his clinic in Japan, she went on to study with him before returning to Hawaii, where she began teaching the practice. She later introduced Reiki to mainland America, where it continued to spread through the students she trained.

As Reiki became established in the West, successive teachers adapted and developed the teachings, and many different schools and styles emerged. The Reiki commonly taught in the West today therefore reflects not only the teachings passed down through Usui, Hayashi and Takata, but also the contributions and interpretations of the generations of teachers who followed them.

At the same time, Japanese Reiki practices also continued to evolve through different lineages and teachers. Greater access to historical material and to Japanese teachers has helped practitioners outside Japan rediscover and study aspects of the earlier teachings.

Understanding the different names

Usui Reiki

Usui Reiki is a name commonly used by teachers to describe Reiki that originates from the teachings of Mikao Usui. However, it is also used as a broad umbrella term for different approaches and lineages. A course advertised as Usui Reiki does not necessarily mean that it follows the original Usui Reiki Ryōhō system or a particular Japanese lineage. It is worth asking the teacher about their lineage and exactly what their course includes.

Usui Reiki Ryōhō

Usui Reiki Ryōhō is the name given to the system developed by Mikao Usui in Japan. The term is used today by teachers following different lineages and interpretations of his teachings, including those seeking to preserve and practise aspects of the earlier Japanese teachings. It is therefore important to understand how an individual teacher uses the term and what they actually teach.

Usui Shiki Ryōhō

Usui Shiki Ryōhō is the name associated with the system brought to the West by Hawayo Takata and subsequently defined and developed by her granddaughter, Phyllis Lei Furumoto, together with other Reiki Masters in that lineage. It has a particular form and teaching tradition, rather than being a general term for all Western Reiki.

Traditional Japanese Reiki

Traditional Japanese Reiki is a broader description used for approaches that draw on Japanese Reiki teachings and practices. It isn't one single standardised system, and different teachers may follow different lineages and interpretations of the original teachings.

Western Reiki

Western Reiki describes the approaches that developed as Reiki spread through Takata's teachings and subsequent generations of teachers outside Japan. There are now many different styles and schools, so Western Reiki is not one uniform system, nor is it necessarily synonymous with Usui Shiki Ryōhō.

What are the differences in the way that Japanese Reiki and Western Reiki systems are taught and practised?

The purpose of learning Reiki

On many Western Reiki courses, the emphasis is on learning Reiki as a method of hands-on healing, both for yourself and for others. Students learn how to give treatments, often using a series of standard hand positions. Reiki is commonly introduced as a way to support relaxation, reduce stress, and promote general well-being.

The traditional Japanese approach takes a broader view of Reiki, with hands-on healing forming one part of an integrated system that also includes meditation, breathing practices, the Five Precepts and ongoing Reiju. Reiki is understood not simply as a method of healing, but as a path of personal and spiritual development, helping us reconnect with our true nature and ultimately leading towards enlightenment.

Attunement and Reiju

In many Western Reiki systems, it is believed that a person needs to receive an attunement before they can practise Reiki. The attunement is commonly explained as a process through which the teacher opens or activates the student's ability to channel Reiki. It is usually given as part of a Reiki course.

The traditional Japanese approach is based on a different understanding: that we already have an inherent connection to Reiki energy, but lack awareness of it. Reiju can therefore be understood as bringing awareness to something that was always there - an act of remembering your true nature. Reiju is given during a Reiki course and at regular practice group sessions.

How energy flows

In many Western Reiki systems, the universe and nature are often seen as separate from us. In the same way, Reiki can be described as something outside ourselves that we switch on and off. The practitioner is often described as a channel, with Reiki entering through the crown, travelling through an energetic channel and flowing out through the palms, while their own energy remains separate.

In the traditional Japanese perspective, the understanding is very different. Rather than channelling Reiki, the practitioner cultivates an awareness of their own nature as Reiki. Just as we are not separate from the universe, the universe is not separate from us.

Symbols and mantras

In many Western Reiki systems, the symbols are often considered secret and have sometimes been shrouded in mysticism. They are often viewed as powerful, even magical, tools believed to offer benefits such as protection, empowerment, manifestation, and karmic healing. Such effects may arise as by-products of practice, but they were not their original purpose. The symbols are also commonly used as an additional way of supporting a Reiki treatment and are often identified by their associated mantras.

In traditional Japanese Reiki, the symbols are sacred rather than secret. You can find the second symbol in Japanese temples, while the third and fourth symbols are written in kanji and appear not only in temples but also in Japanese dictionaries. The symbols and mantras are seen as two distinct tools, and the symbols are referred to by their number rather than by their mantra. They are used to focus our intention and awaken dormant energies within us. Their primary purpose is personal and spiritual development, rather than serving as additional tools during Reiki treatments.

Time between Levels

In many Western Reiki systems, students can progress through the levels relatively quickly, with Level 1 and Level 2 sometimes taught on consecutive days or even as part of the same training programme. The emphasis is often on completing the course, learning the techniques and receiving the certificate, so there may be little or no prescribed time between levels.

In the traditional Japanese approach to Usui Reiki Ryōhō, progressing through the levels is not simply a matter of completing a course. It is about putting the teachings into practice and allowing them to become part of your everyday life. Like learning a martial art, it takes regular practice, patience and commitment to embody what you have learned. The time between levels is therefore guided by your experience and readiness, rather than a fixed timetable. For some students this may take several months, while for others it may take longer.

Which approach is right for you?

Although the Japanese and Western approaches have developed in different ways, they share a common history, and both offer meaningful ways to practise Reiki.

The important question is what you are hoping to gain from learning it.

If you are looking to learn Reiki as a method of hands-on healing, whether for yourself, family, friends, or to offer professionally, either approach can provide a foundation for treating others.

If you are also interested in exploring Reiki as an ongoing personal and spiritual practice, with a deeper understanding of its traditional Japanese foundations, you may be drawn to the traditional Japanese approach.

Remember, course titles alone don't necessarily tell you what you'll learn. Taking the time to understand the teacher's approach will give you a much clearer idea of whether the training is right for you.

Learning Usui Reiki Ryōhō

In my teaching, I follow the traditional Japanese approach to Usui Reiki Ryōhō, focusing on the foundations and practices that form an integrated system of Reiki.

My courses include hands-on healing, Reiki techniques, meditation and breathing practices, the Five Precepts, Reiju, and, at Level 2 and Reiki Master, the study of symbols and mantras.

The intention is not simply to learn how to give a Reiki treatment, but to develop a practice that can become part of everyday life — one that deepens through experience, diligence and continued exploration.

If you are considering learning Reiki and would like to learn more about this approach, I would be happy to talk with you about the training and what to expect.