1.
main culprit; ringleader; instigator; person primarily responsible
The person most responsible for causing a problem or incident. Almost always used negatively, implying blame.
騒ぎの張本人は彼だ。
He's the one who started all the trouble.
この問題の張本人が誰なのか調べている。
We're investigating who's primarily responsible for this problem.
情報漏洩の張本人は社内にいると考えられている。
It is believed that the person responsible for the information leak is inside the company.
A formal word with strong negative connotations, used to identify the person most responsible for something bad. Composed of 張本 (origin of trouble) + 人 (person).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 事件の張本人: the person behind the incident
- 騒ぎの張本人: the one who caused the commotion
- 張本人を突き止める: to identify the culprit
USAGE:
Almost exclusively negative. Unlike 犯人 (criminal), which implies a legal crime, 張本人 is broader and can refer to the instigator of any trouble, scandal, or undesirable situation.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 犯人: criminal; perpetrator — specifically refers to someone who committed a crime
- 首謀者: mastermind — implies planning and leadership of a group
- 元凶: root cause; source of evil — can refer to a person or thing