In the Hardware Store

I've always thought these paintbrushes were unusual.





A ball is a ball everywhere you go, but look how these are sold. This netting makes it easy to carry home and to store at home.




This is a cart of cotton gloves. They are used when cleaning up in the garden, but workmen use them, too. I've seen workers wearing them as they carried panelling and wallpaper. It protects what they are carrying from smudges and fingerprints.




I've never seen an umbrella stand like this one. I've never liked putting a wet umbrella in a canister-type stand. This one will allow the umbrellas to dry faster. We have to air out our umbrellas to make sure they don't sour.

Cleaning Up at a Local Shrine

These are brooms that are used at a small shrine near my health club. They are especially good for sweeping on dirt. Grass lawns are not common here in Japan. Most home gardens and courtyards of shrines and temples are dirt. It may sound messy but it's not. The dirt is really packed down hard. On the left is a long handled dust pan. The second picture shows the stone hearth where the groundskeeper burns the leaves that he has swept.