This study explores possible connections between the ITCZ and MJO initiation over the tropical Indian Ocean. Large-scale and convective characteristics of the ITCZ and MJO during different stages of its initiation were compared using TRMM precipitation feature data and a reanalysis product. A precipitation tracking method was used to identify MJO initiation, and the ITCZ was selected according a set of criteria. The comparison revealed distinctions between the ITCZ and MJO initiation on both convective and large scales. These distinctions suggest that a transition between the ITCZ to MJO initiation is not merely a relocation of active convection, but is an evolution in both convective characteristics and large-scale environment.