Please allow me to explain the Japanese teaching system for those who are not familiar with it. Otherwise you may not be able to understand how Ms. Takata became a Reiki teacher as I discuss in my Hawaii Houch report.
Nowadays, there are many Reiki practitioners that misunderstand how Ms. Takata became a teacher because the teaching systems of Western Reiki schools have been modified over the years with cultural influence. In any of the traditional teaching systems in Japan such as Reiki or martial arts, one needs to acquire enough experience and discipline to become a teacher. There is no "weekend master" like some Western Reiki schools offer. Also, we do not use a word "master" to define a teacher.
In Japanese Reiki systems (Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai and Jikiden Reiki), if one wants to teach Reiki, he/she first becomes "Shihan-kaku" which means associate teacher meaning they can teach only the Shoden class (the first degree). After teaching a required number of Shoden classes, he/she is entitled to take the "Shihan" training if one wants to teach further levels. After completing a Shihan training, he/she is entitled to teach both Shoden and Okuden classes.
As an example, to become Dai-shihan in the Jikiden Reiki, there are a strict combination of requirements:
A candidate has to teach more than 150(*) students, AND
At least 5(*) of these students become Shihan-kaku (by other Dai-shihan), AND
At least 1(*) of these student becomes Shihan (by the president), AND
A candiates has to re-join the Shihan-kaku seminar other Dai-shihan holds
(*)There are other combinations for these numbers.
If one is working towards becoming Dai Shihan, he/she is required to continue offering Reiki treatments as a dedicated practitioner while also continuing to be a dedicated Reiki teacher. In addition, while it is important to have ample teaching experience, one is also required to prove that he/she is offering quality classes in the training of dedicated Reiki practitioners by collecting written feedback from their students. A candidate has to prove that his/her teaching is good enough to have some of his/her students become Shihan-kaku or Shihan.
Unlike the Western Reiki system which allows a master teacher to teach master classes, a Shihan-kaku teacher can not teach Shihan-kaku classes in Japanese Reiki system. For example, only a Dai-shihan can teach a Shihan-kaku class in Jikiden Reiki system. Now, you may wonder, "Well then, who can teach Shihan classes?". Only the representative or vise-representative can teach Shihan. (In Jikiden Reiki, the president is called representative because of Japanese humbleness.) In this way, the quality of Shihan-kaku or Shihan can be maintained and further helps to preserve the teaching contents. In fact, Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai has far more strict rules; Okuden class (the second degree) can be taught only by the president.
Based on Japanese teaching system, Ms. Takata first had to become Shihan-kaku, i.e., not a master but associate teacher. After teaching enough students, she could become Shihan, i.e., just a teacher, not Dai-shihan (senior teacher).
Although the English certificate she obtained on February 1938 states she is "a master", that is a rather exaggerated expression expressed excessively so that she could easily promote and spread Reiki abroad. In fact, master Hayashi cited her in the same way as the other 12 Shihan in Japan. She was one of the 13 Shihan as of 1938.
Some Western authors interprete this certificate of February 1938 as Ms.Takata's Dai-shihan certificate. Japanese common sense tells otherwise, because she just became Shihan-kaku in 1936 and only taught about 50 Shoden students since. One can not become Dai-shihan without enough teaching experience as Shihan. If she was Dai-shihan, there must be some Shihan-kaku taught by her in Hawaii before the war. I will also look into this possibility just in case.
Please note that I am not critisizing Western Reiki here. Ms.Tataka was a great Grand Mater of Western Reiki for sure, but it is likely she was not Dai-shihan of Japanese Reiki at this point 1938. She would not have satisfied none of requirements in case of Jikiden Reiki to become Dai-shihan. If she was ever Dai-shihan at this point, I must say that she was a very premature Dai-shihan to Japanese standard.