Alkaline storage battery, in which the negative electrode is constituted by a hydrogen absorb­ing alloy capable of absorbing/desorbing hydrogen electrochemically, and a hydrophobic material and a hydrophilic material are provided in a portion of the surface layer of the negative electrode and in the side of the negative electrode respectively so as to properly secure both the wetting property and hydrophobic pro­perty of the negative electrode against the alkaline electrolytic solution. Accordingly, a hydrogen can be absorbed electrochemically in the portion of the nega­tive electrode which is wetted by the electrolytic solution and a hydrogen gas generated in charging the battery can be absorbed by a vapor phasc reaction in the hydrophobic portion of the negative electrode which is exposed to the vapor phase so that the internal gas pressure can be reduced to thereby make it possible to perform rapid charging.