An optical recording medium which is a multilayer optical recording medium including a plurality of recording layers and records or reproduces information by the irradiation of light having a wavelength of λ0. At least one recording layer out of a plurality of recording layers includes a variable absorption film. The variable absorption film contains a material in which an electron energy has a band structure, and the absorption end of an absorption spectrum moves toward a longer wavelength side with a rise in temperature when light is absorbed by transition between electron bands, has a first absorptance to light having a wavelength of λ0 when a film temperature is a first temperature (application environment temperature), and has a second absorptance higher than the first absorptance to light having a wavelength of λ0 when a film temperature is a second temperature higher than the first temperature.