A hydraulic shock absorber includes a valve body having a second valve which is fixed to the valve body on a central axis CL side of the second valve and covers an open end of a second oil passage in the valve body. The second valve is deformable in a direction away from the valve body when the valve is applied with force from the valve body side. The second valve is configured: (a) to include a first through-hole formed in a circumferential direction thereof, (b) have lower stiffness, with respect to force from the valve body side, on a second through-hole side than on a third through-hole side and (c) such that a first corner portion C1 of the first through-hole has higher stiffness than a second corner portion C2 of the first through-hole positioned on the third through-hole side.