This invention is a rewritable near-field optical medium using a zinc oxide nano-structured thin film as the localized near-field interaction layer. This rewritable near-field optical medium is a multilayered body at least comprising: (a) a substrate of transparent material; (b) a first protective and spacer layer formed on one surface of the substrate, which is made of transparent dielectric material; (c) a zinc oxide nano-structured thin film which is capable of causing localized near-field optical interactions; (d) a second protective and spacer layer formed on the localized near-field optical interaction layer, which is also made of transparent dielectric material; (e) a rewritable recording layer; (f) a third protective and spacer layer formed on the rewritable recording layer, which is also made of transparent dielectric material. Ultrahigh density near-field optical recording can be achieved by the localized near-field optical interactions of the zinc oxide nanostructured thin film that is in the near-field region of the rewritable recording layer.