To provide a yellow colorant which has a hue having high visibility suitable for ink jet recording, is high in the various fastness of recorded materials, and is excellent in storage stability, and to provide an ink composition containing the same.

There are provided a water-soluble azo compound represented by formula (1) (wherein, Q is a halogen atom; Z is H, a carboxy group, or sulfo group; (x) is an integer of 2 to 4; and (y) is an integer of 0 to 2) or a salt thereof, and an ink composition containing the same.