To provide a variable damping force damper to enable the immediate generation of sufficient damping force at any process by a single unit, be low in cost and excellent in responsiveness, and reliably generate a damping force even in a state that a damping force is not generated by flow response of fluid.

The variable damping force damper comprises an electromagnet 11 situated on the piston rod 6 side; a moving member 12 axially movable by the excitation attraction force of an electromagnet 11; a conversion mechanism 13 to convert axial movement of the moving member 12 into a radial direction: a friction member 14 to generate a friction force as a result of the member being brought into contact with the inner peripheral surface of an inner tube 1 through radial movement of the conversion mechanism 13; and a control means to control the electromagnet 11. The friction member 14 is movable independently of the moving member 12 and situated movably only in a radial direction through slide of it through a slide hole 9h.