This is the 2127th most frequent Japanese word.
序盤
"序盤" (joban) means "the opening stage" or "beginning phase" of an event, game, or process.
Here, '序盤' indicates the early phase of the project.
プロジェクトの序盤で計画を見直しました。
We reviewed the plan at the beginning of the project.
Here, '序盤' refers to the initial phase or part of the game.
このゲームの序盤は簡単です。
The beginning of this game is easy.
In this sentence, '序盤' is used to describe the initial stages of the race.