を皮切りに【をかわきりに】

The grammar structure を皮切りに (also を皮切りにして or を皮切りとして) means "starting with" or "beginning with", and conveys the idea that one initial event triggered a series of subsequent events or developments. The word かわきり皮切り literally means "the first cut" – historically referring to the first incision in moxibustion therapy – and by extension it means "the beginning" or "the start of something."

This expression is used when describing a chain reaction or spread of events that followed after an initial trigger. It carries a sense of momentum: once the first event happened, many similar things followed one after another.

Usage notes

• を皮切りに is primarily used in written and formal contexts such as news reports, articles, and speeches.
• The initial event marked by を皮切りに is typically something significant or noteworthy – the first of its kind or a milestone.
• The events that follow are usually of a similar nature or clearly triggered by the initial event.
• It is most naturally used for positive or neutral developments. While not strictly prohibited with negative contexts, it is far more common with events like product launches, performances, expansions, and social movements.

Variants

All three forms – を皮切りに, を皮切りにして, and を皮切りとして – are interchangeable in meaning:

Comparison with から and をはじめ

Unlike から ("from"), which is neutral and simply indicates a starting point, を皮切りに emphasizes that the first event set things in motion and led to a succession of related events. をはじめ ("starting with") lists representative examples rather than describing a chain reaction of events triggered by the first one.