The bright pigment of the present invention includes flaky particles and a metal oxide layer coating at least a part of the surface of each flaky particle. The bright pigment or the flaky particles of the present invention have a particle size distribution in which the particle size at 99% of the cumulative volume from the smaller particle size is 48 µm or less, and the maximum particle size is 62 µm or less. The flaky particles are made of a material having a refractive index in the range of 1.4 to 1.8. The flaky particles have a thickness distribution in which the frequency of the particles having a thickness in the range of 0.8 µm to 1.9 µm is 90% or more by volume, or the frequency of the particles having a thickness in the range of 0.01 µm to 0.35 µm is 90% or more by volume.