張本人
Meanings
1
originator; ringleader; main culprit; person responsible
Refers to the person who started or is primarily responsible for an event, plan, or trouble. Often carries a negative connotation, like a troublemaker or mastermind, but can be neutral in context.
He is the one who started this commotion.
Who is the originator of that plan?
Usage patterns
- 〈事〉の張本人the person responsible for 〈event〉
It's still unclear who is responsible for this uproar.
- 張本人だと判明するto turn out to be the culprit/person responsible
As a result of the investigation, he turned out to be the one responsible.
- 張本人を突き止めるto track down/identify the person responsible
The police finally tracked down the person responsible for the incident.