noun
instigator; initiator; troublemaker
Refers to a person who sparks a conflict, movement, or trouble; often used in news and political contexts. Can be neutral or negative depending on context.
彼はその抗議運動の火付け役だった。
He was the instigator of the protest movement.
社
Who is the troublemaker behind the internal conflict?
扇動者 is a more formal term for an agitator or inciter, often used in legal or political contexts, while 火付け役 is a more vivid, metaphorical expression.
首謀者 specifically means ringleader or mastermind, implying a leading role in a plot, whereas 火付け役 can refer to anyone who triggers an event, not necessarily the planner.
Compound of 火付け (arson, setting a fire) and 役 (role, duty). Literally 'fire-setting role', it metaphorically refers to a person who ignites a situation.