1.
groundbreaking ceremony (marking the start of a construction project)
A formal ceremony held at the start of a major construction project — typically a building, bridge, railway line, or other large piece of infrastructure. It usually involves dignitaries, developers, and contractors and may include a shovel-turning gesture or a Shinto purification rite.
起工式が行われた。
A groundbreaking ceremony was held.
新しい駅の起工式に参加した。
I attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the new station.
市長が出席して市民病院の起工式が行われた。
The mayor attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the city hospital.
新幹線の延伸工事の起工式で、関係者が鍬入れを行った。
At the groundbreaking ceremony for the Shinkansen extension, officials performed the ritual turning of the earth.
Composed of 起工 ('commencement of construction') + 式 ('ceremony'). The term refers to the public event, not the physical start of work.
USAGE:
- Used for large civil engineering and building projects — highways, railways, hospitals, schools, government buildings, stadiums, and corporate headquarters.
- Smaller residential projects more often use 地鎮祭 ('ground-purification ritual'), a Shinto rite focused on appeasing local spirits before construction.
- The verb paired with it is 行う ('to hold, conduct'): 起工式を行う ('to hold a groundbreaking ceremony').
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 起工式を行う: to hold a groundbreaking ceremony
- 起工式に出席する: to attend a groundbreaking ceremony
- 起工式が行われる: (a ceremony) is held
- 起工式で鍬入れをする: to perform the ritual earth-turning at the ceremony
RELATED TERMS:
- 地鎮祭: Shinto ground-purification ritual before construction
- 上棟式: topping-out / framework-raising ceremony
- 竣工式: completion ceremony (marking the end of construction)
- 落成式: inauguration ceremony for a completed building
CULTURAL NOTE:
- Ceremonies are often held according to a lucky day on the traditional 六曜 calendar (especially 大安). A Shinto priest may preside; participants wear formal attire and may wield a gold-painted ceremonial shovel or hoe.