Provided is a photocurable ink jet recording ink composition having a low viscosity and excellent curing property and photopolymerization initiator solubility. The photocurable ink jet recording ink composition includes a polymerizable compound and a photopolymerization initiator. The polymerizable compound includes vinyl ether group-containing (meth)acrylic esters represented by Formula (I) in an amount of 20% by mass or more based on the total mass of the ink composition. The photopolymerization initiator includes a bisacylphosphine oxide photopolymerization initiator in an amount of 5% by mass or more based on the total mass of the ink composition and a thioxanthone photopolymerization initiator. The content ratio of the bisacylphosphine oxide photopolymerization initiator to the thioxanthone photopolymerization initiator is from 3:1 to 5:4.