At a glance
を皮切りに means "starting with" or "beginning with". It marks the first event in a series of similar events that follow or spread out from it. It is formal and common in news and business.
[Noun] を皮切りに / を皮切りにして、[series of events]
来月の東京公演を皮切りに、全国ツアーが始まります。 Starting with next month's Tokyo show, a nationwide tour will begin.
How to form it
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Noun + を皮切りに(して) | 東京公演を皮切りに |
| Verb (plain form) | Verb + のを皮切りに | 彼が質問したのを皮切りに |
| Variant | Noun + を皮切りとして | 大阪を皮切りとして |
を皮切りに and を皮切りにして have the same meaning. A verb cannot attach directly. Turn it into a noun phrase with の first.