A tale of two brush shops

While it’s true that the character of a country shines through its monuments and icons, i feel like the true personality of a place is better found in its small shops. Straightforward street level retail speaks straight from the heart—it shows and tells us what makes a culture tick.

Let me share with you a pair of brush shops, one in Japan the other in Portugal, to illustrate the point.

The first shop, Naito Shoten, is found in Kyoto. Notwithstanding its central location just a few steps from the Kamo River in a bustling area of this historic city, Naito Shoten can be hard to find. Since opening in 1818, the store has had no sign, relying instead on word of mouth. Can you imagine a 200+ year-old shop in North America not having a sign, ever? Impossible. But in Japan, such modesty, such reliance on quality, such unadorned commitment to craftsmanship is unexceptional. It’s just the way they roll.

Naturally, when you step inside the shop it’s immediately obvious why it’s a classic and magnet for the curious. Brooms and brushes (all made by workshops and artisans from around Japan) for every purpose abound. The lighting is warm, the service is sincere, and the prices are fair. The Japanese way of doing things well, of respecting tradition, speaks from every bristle.

At the comparatively tender age of 95 years, Escovaria de Belomonte, on a salty (yet gorgeous) side street in Porto, is similarly low-key. It does announce itself with a small sign, but I walked past it three times before I noticed it was there.

Stepping inside I slipped into easy conversation with Rui Rodrigues, husband of Olinda Silva Rodrigues, the third generation to own and operate the business. I should qualify “easy”. I don’t speak more than a dozen words of Portugues and Rui’s English repertoire is similarly limited. But his gracious way and enthusiasm for their craft made for fantastically easy and enjoyable communication.

Rui gave me a tour of the tiny workshop behind the counter, where one of his artisans was carefully making an industrial brush of some sort. Closer to the entrance were a few glass cabinets displaying some of the dozens of styles the shop makes. Beautifully made brushes for everything from leather boots to suede shoes, clothing to crumbs, hair to nails, and beards to wallpaper.

In a country like Portugal, where making remarkable things by hand has always been central to the culture, Escovaria de Belomonte is a lovely reminder of the elegance and beauty that can be found in everyday objects.