Hooks and pan by apartment entrance

http://i.imgur.com/7PWn6by.jpg

I recently rented a place and inside one of the closets by the entry are these 3 hooks, a long metal thing (hanging off a hook), a metal bar, and a pan at the bottom. A relative, who bought a house here recently, also has one of these in his house by the doorway, but he's not sure what it's for either.

Any ideas?

I believe it's for storing umbrellas. The pan is to catch the water so it doesn't leak everywhere.

I also think it is for umbrella storage with a drip tray; you can stand long umbrellas in the trap and the bar keeps them from falling out when opening the door or hang smaller ones by their strap on hooks. But not sure what the thing already hanging down from the hook is - it looks broken?
Also can used for wet waterproof boots, or other high footwear that doesn't fit in the normal shoe cupboard or hanging a shoe horn in.

The black thing looks like a boot clip to clip together tall boots so that they don't flop over. That's not standard equipment, btw, but probably something the previous tenant left behind.

I also often see people hang a shoehorn from the small hooks.

I have no idea what they're meant for, but if I were you I wouldn't put wet things in there and shut the door. Overnight the closet will be filled with mold! It's extremely important not to put wet things inside a closet (or oshiire) in Japan!

I think the pan is just there to avoid things from sliding around, or to avoid that fragile-looking closet floor from damage. So, yes, you can put umbrellas (only dried ones!) in there without, or brooms or saws without having to worry about the tip making scratches. The white pole is obviously meant to avoid any long objects from falling on you when you open the door.

I would need those hooks to hang shoehorns, which are necessities in Japanese homes, as well as small brooms of tawashi with strings on them.

I don't know what the black thing is. If it's metal, I think it would damage boots. You might want to ask the landlord.

I got curious and did a search. Looks like it's for storing umbrellas.

http://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/jusetsuhills/poku01.html

I also wouldn't store anything wet in a closet, but the tray must be to avoid scratches.

Thanks, that makes sense, thought I think I'll have to find a way to use that space differently. The hooks are working great for hanging keys from at the moment.