Cha no yu, Japanese Tea Ceremony, is an ancient art form, which grew out of Zen Buddhism. It is full of ceremony, all carefully prescribed. The host sets up the room with a work of art or something else which has been carefully chosen for guests to admire. The guests arrive, and their behavior is also strictly prescribed. They leave their shoes at the door and enter the room, where the floor is covered with tatami (mats). During the ceremony, the host prepares green tea, which is served to the guests. The guests then even have a certain way they must hold their bowls of tea. Also served can be snacks, or even meals. This is a very quiet social gathering, steeped in tradition. In the photo, observe that the objects for admiration are placed in a nook located in the center of the photo. They include scrollwork with calligraphy and an ikebana flower arrangement (which is another ancient art). On the left is the tea set, ready for the ceremony. Japanese often maintain special small houses for this, called tea houses.