PURPOSE: To obtain reversible thermal recording paper enhanced in printing image quality and excellent in color forming properties and color erasing properties due to heating by forming a reversible thermal layer capable of forming and erasing a color by heating and a protective layer provided on the thermal layer so that the surfaces of both layers show specific values in the measured value of an air leak type paper smoothness meter.

CONSTITUTION: In reversible thermal recording paper wherein a reversible thermal layer based on a colorless or light-colored electron donating dye and an electron acceptive acidic substance having reversibility forming and erasing the color of the dye by heating and a protective layer are successively provided on base paper, a measured value of an air leak type paper smoothness meter (Parker printsurf) under a pressure condition of 20kg/cm2 or less is set to 3.8μm or less with respect to the surface of the thermal layer and set to 4μm or less with respect to the surface of the protective layer. The base paper is produced by a papermaking machine using a pulp fiber and internally added chemicals and, as the internally added chemicals, a water soluble multivalent metal compd., a size agent, an yield enhancer or a paper strength enhancer can be designated.