PURPOSE: To control a tracking operation by using a short-wavelength pilot signal whose overwriting characteristic is good.

CONSTITUTION: A recording signal which includes a pilot-signal section and a mark section in addition to a data section is recorded in a width of 3Tp by a recording head Hw1. Then, a recording head Hw2 overwrites the recording region of the head Hw1. Since the mask section is included, the pilot-signal section which has been recorded by the head Hw1 is left without being erased. Then, the head Hw1 performs an overwriting operation again. Since the mask section is included also at this time, the pilot-signal section which has been recorded before is not erased, and a new pilot-signal section is formed. When this operation is repeated, a pilot-signal section which comes into contact with a track edge on one side and a pilot-signal section which comes into contact with a track edge on the other side are formed so as to be adjacent in a track corresponding to the head Hw1. Since a pilot signal is reproduced by a reproducing head of the same azimuth, a short-wavelength pilot signal can be used as the pilot signal.