Hanae Ichinose

She's a short, middle-aged woman who is rarely seen sober. She lives with her son Kentarō Ichinose and her wage-slave husband, who is completely unknown to the other tenants until he gets temporarily laid off. She enjoys joining other tenants in stirring up trouble for Yūsaku and Kyōko, but she occasionally acts with good will for the two, especially Kyōko, whom she sees as a "younger sister" (willfully ignoring the difference in their ages, as the other tenants point out). However, even when she is acting with the best of intentions, her way of doing things often leaves Yūsaku, Kyōko, or both in a worse situations than if she had not gotten involved. Mrs. Ichinose is also an incurable gossip who relishes in her room's proximity to the communal telephone.