To provide a sliding member made from a silicon nitride ceramic, excellent in abrasion resistance and thermal shock resistance, and used for components, tools, devices, etc., of various industrial machines.

The sliding member has a sliding surface at least a part of which is formed from a silicon nitride ceramic sintered body mainly comprising silicon nitride and having a heat conductivity at normal temperature of 50 W/(m×K) or higher. The sintered body is substantially composed of silicon nitride grains and a grain boundary phase surrounding the grains, the areal ratio of the silicon nitride grains on the sliding surface being 70-99.9%.