Hawayo Hiromi Takata (December 24, 1900 – December 11, 1980) was a Japanese-American woman born in Hanamaulu, Territory of Hawaii, who helped introduce the spiritual practice of Reiki to the Western World.
[1] Takata was trained in Reiki by Chujiro Hayashi in Tokyo, Japan and became a Master Practitioner by 1940.
While he had obtained the knowledge of Reiki from the Buddhist religious book Tantra of the Lightning Flash, Takata claimed that he had been inspired from the story of Jesus Christ, who had healed with the touch of his hand, and so had come to America to learn Reiki.
She told this to spread Reiki among Christians too, believing it would otherwise be extinct[citation needed].
[4] Takata died at 2.45 a.m. on December 11, 1980 at Van Buren County Memorial Hospital, in Keosauqua, Iowa.