Carol,
they are little bamboo ladles. i'm not sure what their name is. basically before going into a shrine, there is a washing ritual that worshippers do - the water in the 'well' is 'sacred'. they use the right hand to rinse the left, then use the left hand to rinse the right. then they sip the water and return the ladle where they got it.
sometimes there is a big pot/urn with incense and they'll stand and take in the smoke. there is often a bell and a rope and you can make a donation and ring the bell to the gods.
here is one from last year