Disclosed is an aqueous ink comprising at least water, a plurality of
water-soluble organic solvents and a coloring material. The coloring
material is a pigment, and, it contains a pigment particle having at
least one ionic group bonded to a surface of the pigment particle
directly or via another atomic group. The plurality of water-soluble
organic solvents have a good medium or good mediums for the pigment and a
poor medium or poor mediums for the pigment. The poor medium does not
solvate perfectly or substantially the pigment. The ionic group undergoes
perfectly or substantially no ionic dissociation in the poor medium.
Also, among the respective Ka values of the plurality of water-soluble
organic solvents as determined by the Bristow method, the Ka value of the
poor medium is maximum.