Grammar Info
N3 Lesson 5: 17/21

を始(はじ)め
not only...but also..., starting with

Structure
Noun + をはじめ(として)
Noun + をはじめとする + Noun
Details
Register Standard
使用域 一般
Information
When presenting a topic in Japanese as a ‘starting point’, を始(はじ)め will often be used to show any logic (or planned) progressions from that point. This is often translated as ‘not only (A), but (B)’, or ‘starting with (A), (B)’.
To use を始(はじ)め, one noun will be highlighted as the starting point, before another (or several others) will appear in part (B) of the sentence.
  • この会社(かいしゃ)は車(くるま)を始(はじ)め、ロケットなども作(つく)っている
    Not only does this company make cars, but it also makes rockets.
  • 私(わたし)近所(きんじょ)は、公園(こうえん)をはじめ、博物館(はくぶつかん)など、プラネタリウムがある
    Not only is there a park in my neighborhood, but also a museum, and a planetarium.
Due to sentences featuring をはじめ placing emphasis on (A) as a starting point, additional expressions such as として (or とする) will sometimes be paired with it. These structures function to further emphasize (A), and are similar to ‘with (A) as the starting point, (B)’.
  • ストリートファッションはアメリカを始(はじ)めとして、世界中(せかいじゅう)進出(しんしゅつ)していく
    With America as the starting point, street fashion spread all over the world.
  • この商品(しょうひん)は卵(たまご)をはじめとする多(おお)くアレルゲン含(ふく)まれている
    Starting with eggs, there are many allergens in this product. (Eggs being the primary allergen)
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東京(とうきょう)をはじめ、国内(こくない)観光(かんこう)ツアーに行(い)きます。
I am going on a countrywide tour starting in Tokyo.
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日本語(にほんご)をはじめ、韓国語(かんこくご)と中国語(ちゅうごくご)も学(まな)びたい。
Starting with Japanese, I would also like to learn Korean and Chinese.
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ヨーロッパをはじめ世界(せかい)中(じゅう)を旅行(りょこう)してみたいです。
Starting in Europe, I want to travel the world.
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Books
Tobira
Page 118
[AIAIJ] An Integrated Approach to Intermediate Japanese
Page 134