Information recording method and information recording medium

A method of determining a recording power for recording information on an information recording medium having a recording layer, the method comprising:

• a first power calibration step of determining a recording power for recording a first recording mark having a predetermined recording mark length in the recording layer using laser light, the first power calibration step comprising:
• recording a first test mark in a test writing area provided in the recording layer;
• playing back the first test mark:
• detecting a first asymmetry of an RF signal reproduced from the recorded first test mark;
• and
• determining the first recording power based on the first asymmetry:
• and
• a second power calibration step of determining a second recording power, based on the first recording power determined in the first power calibration step, the second recording power for recording a second recording mark having a recording mark length equal to or less than ½ of a spot diameter of the laser light in the recording layer using the laser light, the second power calibration step comprising:
• recording a second test mark in a test writing area provided in the recording layer;
• playing back the second test mark;
• detecting a second asymmetry of an RE signal reproduced from the recorded second test mark;
• and
• determining the second recording power by adjusting the first recording power determined in the first power calibration step so that the second asymmetry is set to approximately zero.