Stories: Hokkudai Apato maybe the worst ever
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| Since Pickett Choro mentioned it, I'll give my .02 about the great Hokkudai Apato since Jeremy Hansen & I were the last ones to live there (about Nov 1994).
It was downtown Sapporo just a few blocks NE of the Hokkudai University, hense the name Hokkudai Apato. It was in the Shikotoni chiiki and ward.
OK, so yes, this would definitely qualify to be on the ballot for the worst, nastiest, apato in the dendo-bu. I don't know how old it was but if I had to guess, I'd say missionaries had been in there for about 20-25 yrs. It'd be fun to hear from the first elders who moved into it long ago.
Here are some characteristics that seemed to tell stories of their own:
1) we counted a total of 8 holes in the walls (sheetrock) unfortunately the size of a fist. 2) one of the last benjyou "squatters" (in a senkyoushi apato) still in operation at that time - the hole dropped straight down to an out-house type bottom so yes, the smell almost killed you. 3) the shower walls and ceiling had about a qtr-inch thick layer of green mold/moss - you just closed your eyes. 4) the ancient coil water heater's ignition was broken and jimmy-rigged but would often not light, thus many mornings of freezing cold showers. 5) I'm guessing that the gung and grime everywhere was so overwhelming that eventually elders knew they could never clean it and so they never tried but rather hoped to get transfered ASAP. 6) The tatami mats were shredded down to paper thin and you always had to wear slippers because of the straw slivers you'd get in your sox.
When I moved in, I was shocked that this type of apato was still in use by humans, let alone senkyoushi. So I actually called Beckstrand dendobuchou, who was still new to the mission, and asked him to come take a look and stop this misery. Before he had a chance to come, about a month later, the gas heater exploded like a bomb one morning, sending black soott throughout the whole apartment - talk about a pain to clean for days after. Have you ever been without indoor heat when it's about 10 degrees outside? We had to wear our big thick coats, gloves, etc inside for a few days before we got temporary space heaters from some members. That was the last straw where Beckstrand gave us the nod to shut 'er down. Ahhh the good times and memories. |
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