Noritaka Hamazaki, nicknamed Hamaji, is a male third-grade student in Maruko's class. He has an oval head, tanned skin, straight-cut black bangs, visible lips, and characteristic small, widely spaced teeth, along with thicker eyebrows. His typical outfit is a dark blue long-sleeved shirt featuring two separate yellow stripes above the bottom hem and a yellow collar, worn with brown shorts, white socks, and dark blue shoes; the sleeves shorten to T-shirt length in summer.

Hamaji serves as the class clown, known for his sense of humor. He regularly delivers jokes resembling stand-up comedy, makes classmates laugh, and voices opinions candidly during discussions, making him a popular presence at school. Though at home, his background is poorer than most classmates, and he shows reluctance to assist his family despite his mother's requests, often prioritizing his own desires over household responsibilities.

His hobbies and talents focus on entertainment: he enjoys telling jokes and skillfully mimics the behavioral traits and speech patterns of people and animals, forming the basis of his popularity. He considers Bootaro (Tarō Tomita) his best friend and is frequently seen with him, often spending time alongside Maruko and other classmates. His family includes his mother and grandfather.

His favorite foods are pocky, potato chips, miso soup with mackerel, and cooked eel. He collects prized possessions including Kamen Rider cards, pebbles, bottle caps, and milk bottles. He is a fan of the Taiyo Whales baseball team and owns an autograph from player Daisuke Yamashita. He appears as a secondary character in Maruko's class group within the film *Eiga Chibi Maruko-chan: Italia kara Kita Shōnen*.