A negative electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery, made up of substantially spherical graphite particles (A), having fine protrusions on the surfaces thereof and obtained by impregnating and coating substantially spherical graphite particles with a mixture of pitch and carbon black, followed by baking in a range of 900 to 1500° C. In accordance with Raman spectroscopic analysis of the particles (A) using argon laser Raman scattering light, there exists a G-band composite peak comprising peaks in the vicinity of 1600 cm−1, and 1580 cm−1, respectively, and at least one peak in the vicinity of D-band at 1380 cm−1, an interlayer distance of the lattice plane d002, obtained by wide-range X-ray diffraction, being in the range of 0.335 to 0.337 nm.