Ink jet recording apparatus and ink jet recording method

Ink jet recording apparatus comprising:

• a recording unit including a recording head having a surface provided with an ejection opening therein;
• an aqueous ink that is ejected from the ejection opening to record an image on a recording medium;
• a protection unit including a covering member that covers the surface having the ejection opening;
• and
• a recovery unit separate from the covering member, having no member that scrapes the ink deposited on the ink receiving member or sucks the ink from the ejection opening, the recovery unit including an ink receiving member that receives waste ink directly from the ejection opening without interposing any other member, the waste ink being a portion of the ink discharged according to preliminary ejection data;
• wherein the aqueous ink containing a self-dispersible pigment in which a functional group containing at least one anionic group of a carboxyl group and a sulfonate group is bonded to the particle surface thereof.