A high pressure discharge lamp with a trigger wire wound around a side tube portion has the structure in which the side tube portion has a first glass portion extending from a luminous bulb and a second glass portion provided in at least a portion of the inside of the first glass portion, and in which the second glass portion contains at least one substance of Li, Na, and K of from 0.001 wt % to 1.0 wt % inclusive. This structure provides a high pressure discharge lamp operable with a drastically reduced starting voltage.