An initialization method of an optical recording medium having a plurality of optical recording layers capable of reducing uneven initialization due to light interference caused at the time of initialization without deterioration of information recording/reproducing signal characteristics of the recording layers is provided. An initialization method of an optical recording medium, wherein a second optical recording layer and a first optical recording layer are successively stacked via an interlayer on a substrate, a protective layer is formed further on the first optical recording layer, a recording film in the first optical recording layer comprises a phase change type recording material, and a recording/reproducing light is irradiated from the protective film side at the time of recording/reproducing, a material composing the interlayer has a sufficient transmittance for a wavelength of the recording/reproducing light and absorption for an initializing light, and, in a step of initializing by irradiating an initializing light on the first optical recording layer from the protective film side, laser light having a wavelength range of 200 nm to 400 nm is used as the initializing light.