To provide a reciprocating compressor causing no oil shortage at a sliding part near a compression element at the initial start of operation of the compressor.

In the reciprocating compressor with the compression element 2 disposed at an upper part in a sealed container 1 and with an electric element 3 disposed at a lower part, a filling pipe 17 is mounted to a part close to the compression element 2 in the sealed container 1 and positioned so that its tip faces the sliding part near the compression element 2. When filling lubricating oil into the sealed container 1 from the filling pipe 17, oil is poured on the sliding part near the compression element 2 so that a large quantity of oil sticks to the sliding part. Afterwards, even if HC-based refrigerant gas is filled from the filling pipe 17, the quantity of oil remaining at the sliding part is increased in comparison with conventional constitution to cause no oil shortage at the sliding part.