Mikao Usui (Usui-Sensei) was born on the 15th of August 1865 in Kyoto, Japan. He is believed to have been sent to a Tendai Buddhist monastery school in 1869. At the age of 12 he began martial arts training, progressing to the highest levels of proficiency in his particular art, achieving his ‘Instructors Licence’ in his 20′s.

In his late 30′s Usui-Sensei married Sadako Suzuki.

It is said that in March 1922, as a result of undergoing an arduous spiritual discipline (shugyo) on Kurama Yama (Mt Kurama) near Kyoto, Usui-Sensei experienced the phenomenon that is now known to be  Reiki, and gained an intuitive understanding of how to work with with the energy as a medium for healing and self-development. Originally Usui-Sensei did not have a formal name for his system; simply referring to it as ‘the spiritual medicine of many illnesses’. In time it came to be known as Usui Do, or Usui Teate, and eventually Usui Reiki Ryoho.

In April 1922 Usui-Sensei opened his first Training Centre in Harajuku, Aoyama, Tokyo. His ‘motto’ for the training centre was: “Unity of self through harmony and balance”. His reputation grew rapidly, and people came from far and wide to study with him. Demand for training became so great that in February 1923, Usui-Sensei had to move his Centre to larger premises in Nakano, outside of Tokyo.

On the 9th of March 1926 Usui-Sensei died as a result of a stroke. After his death some of his students formed the “Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai” (Usui Reiki Healing Method Learning Society/Association), posthumously honouring Usui-Sensei by naming him as the first president and in Feb 1927 they erected a memorial stone commemorating his achievements in a graveyard at the Saihoji Temple, Tokyo. The memorial stone is about 10 feet tall and 4 feet wide. The inscription on the Usui Memorial was written in old Japanese.