Disclosed is a magnetic recording medium comprising a predetermined substrate having or not having a soft magnetic thin film provided thereon, a layer formed thereon for controlling the columnar crystal grain size in a thin magnetic film formed on the substrate, and the thin magnetic film provided on the columnar crystal grain size control layer. The above-mentioned columnar crystal grain size control layer is a film having a close-packed hexagonal lattice structure and made of one element selected from among Ru, Sc, Y, and Zn, or two or more elements selected from among Ru, Sc, Y, Zn, and Ti; or a film having a close-packed hexagonal lattice structure and made of Co or a Co-based alloy. The columnar crystal grain size control layer may consist of two layers, the under layer of which is made of one or more elements selected from among Si, Ge, and Sn.