Ink jet recording apparatus and cleaning method thereof

An ink jet recording apparatus comprising:

• a conveyance unit configured to convey a record medium in a first direction;
• a recording head having a nozzle arrangement region in which a plurality of nozzles for discharging ink is arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction, the recording head being configured to perform a recording operation for recording on the record medium;
• a cleaning unit configured to perform a cleaning operation on the recording head;
• and
• a control unit configured to control the cleaning operation performed by the cleaning unit,
• wherein a change operation changes relative position relation between a region where the record medium passes and the nozzle arrangement region,
• wherein the control unit acquires end passage positions and a passage region, the end passage positions being positions in the nozzle arrangement region facing to positions where two side edges of the record medium in the second direction pass in a first recording operation before the change operation is performed, and the passage region being a region in the nozzle arrangement region facing to a region where the record medium passes in a second recording operation after the change operation is performed, and
• wherein the control unit performs control for executing the cleaning operation in a case where the end passage position is included in the passage region, and control for not executing the cleaning operation in a case where the end passage position is not included in the passage region.