Who invented the tea ceremony?

No one person is credited for inventing the Japanese tea ceremony but several historical groups are thought to have contributed to its development. The ceremony has links with Zen Buddhism, which was founded in Japan near the end of the 12th century. Tea became part of Buddhist rituals and is still associated with tranquillity and harmony today. Tea also became popular with samurai warriors and nobles, who made it the centre of a party game. They were considered celebrities in their day so their appreciation of tea might have encouraged other people to adopt the drink, along with the rituals associated with it.