A magnetic recording apparatus includes a laser light source (132), a recording magnetic head (131) and a magnetoresistive element. The recording magnetic head includes a pair of magnetic poles (100 and 101), between which the magnetoresistive element is interposed. A rotary actuator (Sa) positions the recording magnetic head at a desired track of a magnetic recording medium. A laser beam can be radiated onto the magnetic recording medium to raise the temperature of a region (302) of the medium. This region has a width of the order of the track width. The raised temperature lowers the coercive force of this region, where a recording magnetic field can be applied for high density recording. The rotary actuator may form a yaw angle (&thgr;) with a track of the magnetic recording medium. Even in this case, the recording magnetic head (131) and the reproducing element have no tracking offset from the code track. In addition, if the size of the magnetic poles (100 and 101) of the recording magnetic head are set within a predetermined range, the region (302) heated by the laser beam does not deviate from a recording magnetic field application region (303).