A hydrodynamic bearing rotary device which can reduce rotation friction, and recording and reproducing apparatus including the same is provided. In the hydrodynamic bearing rotary device, such as hard disc devices, a rotary shaft having a hub on one end is provided in a bearing of a sleeve so as to be rotatable. Thrust hydrodynamic grooves are provided on the other end surface of the rotary shaft, to form a thrust bearing with the thrust plate. A communication path is provided in the sleeve. The second gap between the hub and the sleeve end surface is used as a flow channel and is connected to the communication path. In this way, the rotation friction torque of the thrust bearing can be made sufficiently small, and internal pressure in bonded portions of the rotary shaft or the bottom plate can be suppressed. Thus, the oil can be prevented from oozing out from a small space of the bonded surfaces. Furthermore, the hydrodynamic bearing can be made thin. These effects can be combined to realize an optimal hydrodynamic bearing rotary device.