“〜hajimete no koto da・irai hajimete”: The First Time Ever (since 〜) [JLPT N1]

Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026

Something that has never happened before — a first

「創業以来初めて、赤字を計上した」 — unprecedented, a first

To stress that something is “the first time ever,” 「創業以来初めて、赤字を計上した」 (for the first time since founding, we posted a loss) — 「〜初めてのことだ・〜以来初めて」 = (since ～) a first, unprecedented, used to stress “something happened for the first time, breaking a record, unprecedented.” It carries the weight of “rare, seldom, never-before-seen.” This guide covers attachment, the common 「以来／生まれて,」 and separating it from 「て初めて (only after doing A ～).」

Core: a record-breaking, never-before-seen first

「〜のは初めて（のことだ）／noun ＋ 以来初めて」 means “(something) is a first, unprecedented (since ～／in all history)”:

• 彼が涙を見せるなんて、初めてのことだ (for him to show tears is a first).
• こんなに緊張したのは、生まれて初めてだ (this nervous is a first in my life).
• 開校以来初めて、全国大会に出場した (for the first time since the school opened, we reached the national tournament).

Feel: the core is “something happened for the first time, breaking a record, unprecedented,” with the weight of “rare, seldom, never-before-seen.” It often pairs with a “starting point” word: 「以来 (since ～),」 「生まれて (in one's life),」 「創業／開校以来 (since founding／opening),」 stressing “from that point to now, it's never happened.” It corresponds to “a first, unprecedented, (since ～) the first time.”

Attachment rules

Example sentences

• これほど大勢の観客が集まったのは、開館以来初めてだ。(Gathering this many spectators is a first since the venue opened.)
• 彼にほめられたのは、入社以来初めてのことだった。(Being praised by him was a first since I joined the company.)
• 生まれて初めて、飛行機に乗った。(For the first time in my life, I rode an airplane.)
• 記録が更新されたのは、実に20年ぶりのことだ。(The record being broken is a first in a full 20 years.)
• 町全体が停電するなど、前代未聞のことだ。(The whole town losing power is unheard of.)

⚠️ Where learners slip up

① It stresses ‘something is a first, unprecedented' (first occurrence, record-breaking). This set's core is “stress that something happened for the first time (since some point／ever), never before seen” — the point being that “rare, seldom, unprecedented” weight. It's not a plain “first time doing (an action),” but “the ‘occurrence' of this thing itself is record-breaking, unprecedented”: 開校以来初めて優勝した (won for the first time since the school opened — stressing that “winning” broke school history), 彼が謝るなんて、初めてのことだ (for him to apologize is a first — stressing how rare “his apologizing” is). It corresponds to “a first, unprecedented, (since ～) the first time.” Test: to stress “something happened for the (unprecedented) first time, record-breaking” → 初めてのことだ／以来初めて.

② Often pairs with a ‘starting point' like 「以来／生まれて／創業以来.」 This set often pairs with words for “counting from which time point,” stressing “from then to now, it's never happened”: 「noun ＋ 以来」 (since ～): 入社以来初めて (first time since joining), 開店以来初めて (first time since opening); 「生まれて」 (in one's life): 生まれて初めて (first time in my life); 「創業／開校以来」 (since founding／opening). These “starting points” make the “first time” weightier (stressing how long and how rare). Mnemonic: (starting point) 以来 ＋ 初めて = first time since ～; 生まれて初めて = first time in one's life.

③ Division of labor with 「て初めて (only after doing A ～).」 This is the pair to sort out most. Both have 「初めて,」 but mean entirely different things. 「初めてのことだ／以来初めて」 = (something) is a first, unprecedented (stressing the ‘first-occurring event' itself): こんな大雪は初めてだ (such heavy snow is a first — stressing how rare the “snow” is). 「て初めて」 = only after doing A, ～／only then realize (stressing the conditional relation “must do A first for B to be realized／understood,” see 〈て初めて〉): 失って初めて、大切さに気づく (only after losing do you realize its value — stressing “losing (A)” is the trigger for “realizing its value (B)”), 親になって初めて、親の苦労が分かる (only after becoming a parent do you understand a parent's hardship). Difference: 「初めてのことだ」 is “(something) is a first” (stressing the ‘event, its rarity' of a first occurrence); 「て初めて」 is “only after doing A, first ～” (stressing the ‘A is the condition／trigger for B' causal relation). Test: to stress “something is an unprecedented first (the event itself)” → 初めてのことだ／以来初めて; to stress “only after doing A, ～／only then understand” (a conditional relation) → て初めて (see 〈て初めて〉). Both have 「初めて,」 but one is about “a rare first event,” one about “the condition for ～ only then ～.”

🔄 Compare: 初めてのことだ／以来初めて／て初めて／前代未聞

💡 Quick takeaway

「〜初めてのことだ・〜以来初めて」 = (since ～) a first, unprecedented — three points: ① it stresses “something is a first, record-breaking, unprecedented” — the point being that rare, never-before weight (開校以来初めて優勝); ② often pairs with a starting point like 「以来／生まれて／創業以来,」 stressing how long the span; ③ division of labor with 「て初めて (only after doing A ～／only then realize, see 〈て初めて〉)」 — this is about “a rare first event,” て初めて about “the condition for ～ only then ～.” This set suits stressing something “unprecedented, worth noting” — “for the first time since founding,” “for the first time in my life” — it foregrounds that rarity and weight. To stress something is “an unprecedented first,” 「初めてのことだ／以来初めて」 is spot-on (don't confuse it with 「て初めて = only after ～」).

❓ Questions you might have

Q: Is the 「初めて」 of 「失って初めて分かる」 the same as that of 「初めてのことだ」?

No — they're two different uses of 「初めて」 — one about a “conditional relation (only after ～),” one about a “rare first event.” 「て初めて」 = only after doing A, (first) ～／only then realize (stressing the ‘A is the condition／trigger for B' causal relation): here 「初めて」 means “(after doing A) only then, only,” stressing “A must be had／done first for B (some realization or insight) to happen”: 失って初めて、大切さに気づく (only after losing do you realize its value — “losing (A)” is the trigger for “realizing (B)”; without losing you wouldn't realize), 社会に出て初めて、学生時代のありがたさが分かる (only after entering society do you appreciate student days). Its point is the “A → only then B” conditional causality (see 〈て初めて〉). 「初めてのことだ／以来初めて」 = (something) is a first, unprecedented (stressing the ‘event, its rarity' of a first occurrence): here 「初めて」 means “the first (occurrence),” stressing “this thing is a record-breaking, never-before first”: こんな大雪は初めてのことだ (such heavy snow is a first — stressing how rare the “snow” is), 開校以来初めての快挙 (a feat, the first since the school opened). Its point is “how rare, first-occurring the event is.” Difference: 「て初めて」 is “only after doing A, (first) ～／only then understand” (A is the condition for B, a causal relation); 「初めてのことだ」 is “(something) is a first” (stressing the rare first event itself). Test trick: look before 「初めて」 — a て-form (verb て) → “only after doing A, ～” (て初めて, conditional, see 〈て初めて〉); 「のは／noun 以来」 or a following 「のことだ」 → “(something) is a first” (初めてのことだ, a rare event). So 「失って初めて分かる (only after losing do you understand — conditional)」 and 「泣くのは初めてのことだ (crying is a first — a rare event)」 are two different 「初めて」s — don't mix.

Q: What's the difference between 「以来初めて」 and 「ぶり」? Both are about “how long it's been”?

The difference is ‘whether there's a “first time” sense.' 「〜以来初めて」 = the first time since ～ (stressing “the first that's happened since then”): it stresses “since some time point, this is the first (occurrence),” with the weight of “unprecedented, record-breaking,” the point on the “first”: 創業以来初めて、黒字になった (turned a profit for the first time since founding — stressing “from founding to now, the first profit,” rare), 開館以来初めての来場者数 (the visitor count, a first since the venue opened — record-breaking). Its point is “this is the first time.” 「〜ぶり」 = after ～, for the first time in ～ (stressing “how long since it last happened”): it stresses “how long it's been since the last time,” the point on the “time interval,” not necessarily a “first time” (usually a “once more”): 5年ぶりに再会した (reunited after 5 years — 5 years since last meeting, a “once more”), 10年ぶりの大雪 (heavy snow for the first time in 10 years — 10 years since such snow). Difference: 「以来初めて」 is “the ‘first time' since ～ (unprecedented)”; 「ぶり」 is “after ～, for the first time in ～ (stressing how long the interval, usually a ‘once more').” Test: to stress “(since some time) the first time, unprecedented” → 以来初めて; to stress “how long since the last (before it happened again)” → ぶり. E.g. 「入社以来初めてほめられた (praised for the first time since joining — a first)」 uses 以来初めて; 「3年ぶりにほめられた (praised for the first time in 3 years — 3 years since last, once more)」 uses ぶり. One is “the first time (unprecedented),” one is “how long it's been (once more)” — don't mix.

🖊️ Practice Questions (5)

Q1. 「ここまで売れたのは、創業___だ。」(the first time since the company's founding)

(A) 以来初めてのこと　(B) について　(C) によること　(D) どころのこと

Q2. 「初めてのことだ」の語感は?

(A) Emphasizes something unprecedented, rare (with emotion)

(B) Happens often

(C) Purely time

(D) Command

Q3. 「こんなに驚いたのは初めてのことだ」の意味は?

(A) It's the first time I've been this surprised

(B) Often this surprised

(C) Not surprised

(D) Surprised for the second time

Q4. 「初めてのことだ」とよく一緒に来るのは?

(A) 〜以来(since 〜)

(B) もし

(C) ぜひ

(D) たとえ

Q5. 用法が自然なのは?

(A) こんな経験は初めてのことだ。　(B) 初めてのことだを食べる。

(C) 初めてのことだ行く。　(D) 初めてのことだに高い。

Answer Explanations

1. (A) 以来初めてのこと ── The first time since the company's founding.

2. (A) ── Emphasizes something unprecedented (with emotion).

3. (A) ── The first time I've been this surprised.

4. (A) 〜以来 ── Often pairs with 以来.

5. (A) ── 「こんな経験は初めてのことだ」is correct.