To obtain an optical recording medium excellent in long term reliability by employing an organic coloring matter thin film principally comprising a cyanine based coloring matter shown by a specific formula applicable to short wavelength laser light.

The optical recording medium comprises a recording layer 2 of an organic coloring matter thin film applicable to short wavelength laser light principally comprising a cyanine based coloring matter shown by a formula [where, X represents an ion of iodide, bromide, perchloric acid, fluoroboric acid, tetrafluorophosphate, or tetrafluoroantimonate, one of R1, R2 represents a substituent of 2-18C having unsaturated linkage and the other represents an alkyl group or an aryl group, Y1, Y2 represents a hydrogen or halogen atom, an alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, nitro, hydroxyl, carboxyl, -OCF2, -R3OH, -R3COOR4, -CH=CHN, -COOR4, -R3COOH, or -COR3 group (R3 is an alkylene group of 1-9C and R4 is an alkyl group of 1-9C), n, m is an integer of 1-4, and (Y1)n, (Y2)m exhibits asymmetric structure in a cyanine based coloring matter molecule].