Update on Reiki by Yuko

Thank you so much to everyone who reached out to this Reiki Blog, The Life with Reiki in Japan.

This blog has been inactive for some time. 

Please check out my new blog to learn more about Reiki and Japan!

http://www.reikibyyuko.com/blog/index.htm

Reiki courses and healing sessions are available in Tokyo, Japan. http://www.reikibyyuko.com/

Remote Reiki treatments are also available from anywhere in the world.

http://www.reikibyyuko.com/reiki.htm

Follow me on Instagram! @reikibyyuko

Looking forward to connecting with you!

New Year's Eve in Japan

Oomisoka(大晦日)、New Year’s Eve is one of the most important days in Japan.

Oosoji(大掃除)、big cleaning is to be done before Oomisoka to remove clutter from the year and clean the home. On the process of Oosoji, we get rid of all the negativities we have gotten in the year and prepare ourselves to welcome a new year in the spirit of new beginning.

Eating Toshikoshi-Soba(年越そば), year-passing buckwheat noodle around midnight of Oomishoka is one end of the year custom. Several reasons are told why Japanese people eat Toshikoshi-Soba. The noodle is long and thin, so it signifies living longer.. Also the noodle is easy to cut. It symbolizes the ability to cut off the negativity of the year.

At the midnight of New Year ’s Eve, monks in temples throughout Japan start to strike their big bells. It is called Jyoya-no-Kane(除夜の鐘).

The bells are rung 108 times. It is said that 108 is the number of  worldly passions and desires causing us suffer. Joya no Kane is believed to have the power to purify the people’s mind and welcome the New Year with a refreshed feeling.

Sakutan Touji (朔旦冬至)

In Japan, December 22nd is called “Touji (冬至)”. It is the day of winter solstice when solar energy becomes the weakest as it has the shortest daylight and the longest night of the year.

Historically Touji was considered as the beginning of a new year as the day time is getting longer and longer after the day.
It is the time to move forward from darkness to light.

Today is also the new moon which is the first phase of the moon.

It is called Sakutan Touji (朔旦冬至) when the new moon and Touji coincidentally meet on the same day. It is very rare as it occurs every 19 years.

Sakutan Touji is the day both sun and moon rebirth.

Please take a moment to meditate and let your thoughts fill with hope, joy, peace and happiness for the coming season of light and transmit the positive vibration to the world!

Traditionally Japanese people eat pumpkin and take "Yuzu-yu(柚子湯)", a bath with a lot of whole Yuzu (a kind of Japanese aromatic citrus) on the day of Touji. It is said it will help you to stay in good health without catching a cold during the winter. 

If you are in Japan, you can find Yuzu in any supermarkets. Also you will find Yuzu-yu in your local Sento (銭湯), a public bath on Touji day.

P.S. Even Capybaras love Yuzu-yu in Japan!

http://news.mynavi.jp/news/2014/12/17/141/

Why Japanese don't know about Reiki even though it's originated in Japan?

I have taught a lot of people visiting Japan from overseas.

One of their reasons why they choose to come to Japan is learning more about traditional way of Reiki in the country where it started.

However they are quite disappointed that no Japanese people they talked to knows about it.

They come to me and ask me WHY?

Reiki is NOT as popular as many of other countries in Japan.

In 1922, Mikao Usui was spiritually awakened and received Reiki energy on Mt. Kurama in Kyoto, Japan. Soon after, he founded the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai (Usui Reiki healing society) in Tokyo. Usui treated and saved a lot of people especially after the big earthquake; "Kanto daishinsai" (Great Kanto earthquake) in 1923. Reiki spread soon and Usui was recognized a master of healing touch.

After Usui's death in 1926, one of his students Chujiro Hayashi took a major role of transmitting Reiki. He initiated and trained Hawayo Takata; a Japanese-American woman borned and lived in Hawai. She returned to Hawai and started teaching Reiki (the style of Reiki Hawayo taught is now referred to as Western Reiki.). Reiki became very popular and has spread in western countries.

While Reiki got internationally well known, it faded in Japan.

Japan lost the World War II, and had to re-construct the country and catch up on western countries. People worked so hard and forgot about the luxury time to feel the subtle energy.

Reiki was re-imported into Japan in 80's and has been spreading again.

But still you can't talk about Reiki or spirituality with random people in Japan.

Many of foreigners have the image that Japan is a spiritual country.

I would say many of Japanese people are superstitious, but still very skeptical about something they can't see.

Without any scientific proof, many people think it's scum or cult religion or you are just one of the crazy people. So you have to know who you are talking to when it comes spirituality otherwise you might be judged in wrong way.

But I've been feeling that a lot of people started listening their inner voice and aware of what is more important for us these days. I hope more people realize how human were living in beauty of nature with respect and enjoy all the benefit of energy that was gifted from the universe.

Hike from Kurama temple to Kibune shrin

Mount Kurama is where Mikao Usui (a founder of Reiki) received Reiki energy.
The trip to Kurama and Kibune offers a few hours of serenity and the opportunity to commune with nature. It’s the perfect place for a retreat to refresh your body and mind.