Who is Hanji from The Master Puppeteer and what is their importance?

Hanji is Jiro's father. He is a puppet maker who sells his puppets to Yoshida, the owner of the Hanaza theater. He is skilled at his job, but there is not enough work for him to keep his family fed in this time of famine. He tries his best to keep them happy, being kind to Kinshi and his wife and trying to help them to think positively. When Jiro makes mistakes while helping his father with his work, Hanji tries to encourage him rather than criticize. He seems like the perfect loving father, and Jiro loves him dearly.