To provide a water based ink capable of giving high quality images with less bleeding and excellent in scratching properties for both regular and coated sheets of paper, particularly for a glossy sheet of paper and an OHP sheet of paper, an ink cartridge storing the water based ink, ink recorded products using the water based ink, an ink jet recording device and ink jet recording method using the water based ink.

The water based ink contains a pigment as a coloring material having at least one hydrophilic group on its surface and exhibiting a water dispersibility in the absence of a dispersing agent, and a guanidine derivative.