An optical recording medium includes an optical recording layer, a separating layer formed on a reproducing light incident side of the optical recording layer, and a phase-change reproducing layer formed on the reproducing light incident side of the separating layer, absorbance of which phase-change reproducing layer is changed depending on whether a state of the optical recording layer is a recording mark or a space. A transfer portion to which a state of the optical recording layer is transferred is formed in a portion having high absorbance of the phase-change reproducing layer by irradiation with reproducing light, while a portion of the phase-change reproducing layer other than the transfer portion is kept in a state optically differing from the transfer portion.