A flush toilet includes: a bowl including a rim formed on the top edge of a bowl-shaped waste receiving surface, a discharge path connected to the bottom of this bowl for discharging waste, and a rim spout portion disposed on this rim for spouting flush water within the bowl to form a circulating flow. The bowl further includes a shelf, formed in the circumferential direction from the rim spout portion between the waste receiving surface top edge and the rim bottom end, for guiding flush water spouted from the rim spout portion in the circumferential direction. The rim spout portion is disposed on either the left or right of either the side region or the front region of the bowl, and forms a rim spout port to spout flush water rearward. The width of the shelf is set to decrease from the side to the rear of the bowl.