をはじめ / をはじめとする

1. 1"Starting with X, (and all the others)": X is named first as the most prominent member, and the rest of the group follows.Ex. 2
2. 2"(Group) led by / headed by X": the form directly modifies a noun naming the whole group that X represents.Ex. 1

A somewhat formal expression common in writing, news, speeches and announcements, often used to name the most important person or item first (e.g. 社長, 校長先生). The following clause usually covers a broader group, often with 全〜, みんな, 多くの or など. Unlike を中心に, which marks a focus or center, をはじめ simply names a representative first member.

• 1.
  を皮切りにN1「を皮切りに」marks a starting point in time, after which a series of events unfolds one after another; it can also attach to a dictionary-form verb + の. 「をはじめ」only cites a representative of its class with no sense of order, so the two are not interchangeable.
• 2.
  はもちろんN3「はもちろん」emphasizes 'A goes without saying, and B too...', typically followed by 「も」or 「まで」, and is common in both speech and writing; 「をはじめ」merely cites the most representative item to list its class and leans toward written style, so their focus differs.
• 3.
  はもとよりN2「はもとより」expresses the progression 'A goes without saying, and B too...', often with 「も」or 「まで」in the second clause; this pattern only cites a representative to list its class with no progression, and can also modify a noun as 「をはじめとする」.
• 4.
  を中心にN3「を中心に」means taking a place, group of people, or topic as the core or focus and extending outward; it is not about citing a representative, is stylistically neutral, and works in conversation. 「社長を中心に」is also valid, but then it means the president is the center of the event.
• 5.
  はおろかN1「はおろか」means 'let alone X, even Y...', using a demanding X to highlight a more basic Y, and the second clause is usually negative in content; 「をはじめ」simply cites a representative to list its class with a neutral tone, so the two are not interchangeable.
• 6.
  をおいてN1「をはじめ」cites a representative while also involving others of the same kind; 「をおいて」excludes all others and stresses uniqueness, requiring a negative or rhetorical question like 「ほかに〜ない」in the second clause. Their meanings are exact opposites and cannot be swapped.

を皮切りに marks the first event in a series over time, and を中心に marks a focus or center, whereas をはじめ names a representative member of a group. はもちろん/はもとより ("not to mention"), はおろか ("let alone", usually with negatives) and をおいて ("no one/nothing but X") express obviousness, extremity or exclusivity rather than listing a group's leading member.