The present invention provides a microencapsulated pigment, wherein pigment particles having an anionic group on the surface are coated with a polymer comprising a repeating structural unit derived from a cationically polymerizable surface active agent and a repeating structural unit derived from an anionically polymerizable surface active agent and/or a hydrophilic monomer having an anionic group; and a process for producing a microencapsulated pigment, wherein the cationically polymerizable surface active agent is added to and mixed with an aqueous dispersion of the pigment particles having an anionic group on the surface, the anionically polymerizable surface active agent and/or the hydrophilic monomer having an anionic group are added thereto and the mixture was emulsified, followed by adding a polymerization initiator and carrying out emulsion polymerization. In addition, an ink jet recording ink comprising at least the above microencapsulated pigment and water.