Provided is a method that enables easy manufacture of a wire grid polarizer that is highly functional in separating polarized light in the visible light region, and has improved transmittance in the short-wavelength region. An underlayer (22), first thin metal wires (24), and second thin metal wires (30) are formed by a vapor deposition method, which fulfills conditions (A) through (F), on an optically transparent substrate (14), on the surface of which a plurality of ridges (12) are formed. (A) An underlayer material is vapor-deposited on the upper surfaces (16) and on first side surfaces (18) of the ridges (12), from a direction forming an angle thetaL. (B) The underlayer material is vapor-deposited on the upper surface of the first underlayer (22a) and on second side surfaces (20), from a direction forming an angle ThetaR opposite to that in condition (A). (C) thetaL and thetaR are between 60 DEG and 90 DEG . (D) The height (Hma1) of the underlayer (22) is between 1 and 20 nm. (E)A metal or metal compound is vapor-deposited on the upper surface of the underlayer (22) and on the bottom surfaces (28) of grooves (26). (F) The height (Hma2) of the first thin metal wires (24) and the height (Hp) of the ridges fulfill the relation 40 nm <= Hma2 <= 0.9xHp.