Hanae Ichinose is a resident of Room 1 at the Ikkoku-kan boarding house, her family name a pun on the room number as "Ichinose" means "first ford." She lives there with her wage-slave husband, a man seldom seen by the other tenants until his temporary layoff, and their son, Kentaro Ichinose. Her character is marked by a frequent lack of sobriety and a powerful inclination for gossip, a habit made convenient by her room's position next to the building's communal telephone.

She often joins fellow tenants Akemi Roppongi and Yotsuya in noisy drinking parties held in Yusaku Godai's room, much to his dismay. These gatherings feature dancing with fans while intoxicated. Though she occasionally acts on what she believes are good intentions, particularly towards the building manager Kyoko Otonashi whom she views as a younger sister, her interventions typically worsen situations for both Yusaku and Kyoko. This continues even when she tries to shift from causing trouble to counseling their relationship after recognizing Kyoko's serious feelings for Yusaku.

Beyond mischief, she shows a caring side as a mother to Kentaro, though her parenting includes taking him to parties where he witnesses her drunken behavior, which he finds embarrassing and discourages. She is also characterized as nosy and typical of her age, with a background indicating she is originally from Hokkaido. At one point, before learning Kyoko was a widow, she actively attempted to arrange an omiai for her.

Her relationships with other residents are significant. Alongside Akemi and Yotsuya, she forms a trio of drinking companions who delight in observing and meddling in Yusaku's life for their amusement. While she gossips about and eavesdrops on Yusaku, her interactions with Kyoko also involve sharing gossip, albeit while sometimes adopting a motherly role towards her.

Physically, she is a short, middle-aged woman. Certain interpretations of the character also list traits including being overweight and a smoker.