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〜をはじめ

starting with, including (and others)

Noun + をはじめ / をはじめとして · をはじめとする + Noun

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をはじめ leads a list with its most important or typical member, and implies there are others: 東京をはじめ、大きな町はどこも込んでいる, "big cities, starting with Tokyo, are crowded everywhere".

It's a formal way to say "X and others" or "including, above all, X". You'll hear it in speeches and thank-yous: 社長をはじめ、社員全員, "everyone from the president down".

をはじめとして means the same. Before a noun, it becomes をはじめとする: 京都をはじめとする古い町, "old towns such as Kyoto".

The はじめ is the noun "beginning", related to 始める. Compare など, which goes after a list and adds "and so on" without singling anything out.

Examples

  • 東京とうきょうをはじめ、大おおきな町まちはどこも込こんでいる。

    Big cities, starting with Tokyo, are crowded everywhere.

  • 社長しゃちょうをはじめ、社員全員しゃいんぜんいんがパーティーに参加さんかした。

    Everyone from the president down came to the party.

  • すしや天てんぷらをはじめ、日本料理にほんりょうりは世界中せかいじゅうで人気にんきだ。

    Japanese food, with sushi and tempura leading the way, is popular all over the world.

  • 両親りょうしんをはじめ、多おおくの人ひとに助たすけてもらった。

    I was helped by many people, above all my parents.

  • 京都きょうとをはじめとする古ふるい町まちを旅行りょこうした。

    I travelled around old towns, Kyoto among them.

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