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

Jiro is the main character of the story. The story is told from his point of view. Jiro is the son of Hanji, a puppet maker who sells his puppets to the Hanaza puppet theater. Jiro's mother is Isako, a grumpy woman who seems to resent that her son was even born. She constantly criticizes him, and all Jiro wants is to prove his worth to her and gain her love again. Hanji treats Jiro with more respect and tries to involve him in his trade. When Jiro makes mistakes he tries to encourage him rather than criticize him.

Jiro loves both his parents and his very loyal to them. He is concerned with being a good son, and berates himself when he feels like he is letting them down. When it becomes clear that there is not enough food for the whole family to live on, Jiro apprentices himself to the puppet theater. He knows they will feed him and give him a place to sleep, meaning that his parents will have more. At the theater he will also have a chance to advance and become a paid worker. This will allow him to look after his parents in the future.

Jiro is a kind-hearted boy who is trying to do what is best for his family. He does not tell his mother and father that he is leaving, and goes behind their backs to do it. This way they cannot say no and they cannot take him back without dishonoring themselves. Jiro knows that he will hurt them by doing this, but he is doing what he thinks is for the best. He is trying to spare them pain and ensure that they are looked after in the future.