A nitrogen-containing sintered hard alloy includes at least 75 percent by weight and not more than 95 percent by weight of a hard phase containing Ti, a group 6A metal and WC in a prescribed composition, and at least 5 percent by weight and not more than 25 percent by weight of a binder phase containing Ni, Co and unavoidable impurities, and contains at least 5 percent by weight and not more than 60 percent by weight of Ti in terms of a carbide or the like, and at least 30 percent by weight and not more than 70 percent by weight of a metal belonging to the group 6A of the periodic table in terms of a carbide, while the atomic ratio of nitrogen/(carbon + nitrogen) in the hard phase is at least 0.2 and less than 0.5, and the nitrogen-containing sintered hard alloy is provided with a soft layer containing a binder phase metal and WC in its outermost surface, and has a layer which is hardly provided with the hard phase containing WC in a portion immediately under the soft layer in a thickness of at least 3 µm and not more than 30 µm. According to this composition, it is possible to provide a nitrogen-containing sintered hard alloy which can be employed as a cutting tool having high reliability with no surface coating also in working under conditions bringing a strong thermal shock.