Ink composition and ink jet recording method

An ink composition comprising at least one of water-soluble dyes represented by the following formulae (1) to (3) and a surfactant:

• wherein R1, R2 and R3 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a cyano group, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aralkyl group, an aryl group, an alkylthio group, an arylthio group or ionic hydrophilic group, and R4 represents an optionally substituted heterocyclic group selected from the group consisting of the members of the following Group 1, provided that the water-soluble dye represented by the formula (1) has at least one ionic hydrophilic group within the molecule;
• Group 1:
• wherein * represents a linking position;
• wherein R5 represents a hydrogen atom, a cyano group, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aralkyl group, an aryl group, an alkylthio group, an arylthio group or an ionic hydrophilic group, Za represents —N═, —NH— or —C(R11)═, and Zb and Zc each independently represents —N═ or —C(R11)═ wherein R11 represents a hydrogen atom or a non-metallic substituent, and R6 represents an optionally substituted heterocyclic group selected from the group consisting of the members of the following Group 2, provided that the water-soluble dye represented by the formula (2) has at least one ionic hydrophilic group within the molecule;
• Group 2:
• wherein * represents a linking position;
• and
• wherein R7and R9 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, a cyano group, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aralkyl group, an aryl group, an alkylthio group, an arylthio group or an ionic hydrophilic group, R8 represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, an aryl group, an aryloxy group, a cyano group, an acylamino group, a sulfonylamino group, an alkoxycarbonylamino group, an ureido group, an alkylthio group, an arylthio group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, a carbamoyl group, a sulfamoyl group, a sulfonyl group, an acyl group, an alkylamino group, an arylamino group, a hydroxyl group or an ionic hydrophilic group, and R10 represents an optionally substituted heterocyclic group selected from the group consisting of the members of the following Group 3, provided that the water-soluble dye represented by the formula (3) has at least one ionic hydrophilic group within the molecule;
• Group 3:
• wherein * represents a linking position.