A transfer mechanism includes: a tray that includes a placement surface section on which a recording medium is placed, and retention means for keeping hold of the recording medium placed on the placement surface section, and is moved and rotated across an insertion/removal position at which the tray is faced toward the outside of a device body with the placement surface section being substantially horizontal and a recording/reproduction position at which the tray is housed in the device body with the placement surface section being substantially vertical; a clamp member that is supported inside of the device body to allow a main surface section thereof to move and rotate across a substantially-horizontal direction and a substantially-vertical direction, and clamps, with a support mechanism, the recording medium moved and rotated to the recording/reproduction position; and a movement mechanism that moves the tray.