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epa01974337 Following the formal tea ceremony the guests put on their straw sandals left outside the tea room in the garden of Houenan in Kyoto, Japan, 25 November 2009. The straw sandals represent the simple aesthetic of formal Japanese tea ceremony, which was deeply influenced by Japanese Zen Buddhism. The Way of Tea, is a means of teaching and experiencing the refined art of Japanese hospitality. Tea was first introduced to Japan from China in the 9th century and developed into a fine formal art through the influence of Zen Buddhism in the 14th and 15th centuries. The 16th century tea master Sen no Rikyu is considered the greatest teacher of the Japanese 'Way of Tea.' Rikyu's disciples created the present day three main schools of tea: the Urasenke, the Omotesenke, and the Mushakojisenke. EPA/EVERETT KENNEDY BROWN