It is an object of the present invention to provide coding techniques which allow for higher efficiency and easier synchronization with coded data. In order to attain the object, a coding device according to the present invention converts 2-bit informational data into 4-bit coded data according to a predetermined coding rule. According to the coding rule employed in the coding device, one of four possible kinds of bit strings of informational data is converted into alternately a bit string of four bits in which each of values of two successive bits is “1” and a bit string of four bits in which each of values of all bits is “0”. Then, the other kinds of bit strings are converted into bit strings of four bits which differ from one another, in each of which a value of only one bit is “1”.