Reiki was founded by Mikao Usui, a Buddhist monk in Japan who was born on August 15, 1865 in a village now called Miyamo cho, in Gifu Prefecture. His family was Hatamoto Samurai, a high rank within the Samurai System. Mikao Usui developed the system of Reiki when he undertook a twenty-one day spiritual retreat, including fasting and meditation in Mt. Karuma near Kyoto, where he attained enlightenment.