It is intended to obtain anaerobic microbial cells in an amount sufficient for hydrogen generation reaction, impart a hydrogen generation function to an aerobic microorganism within a short time and provide an industrial advantageous method of producing hydrogen.The above object can be established by providing a highly efficient microbial hydrogen production method characterized by comprising culturing a microorganism having a formate dehydrogenase gene and a hydrogenase gene under aerobic conditions, culturing the resulting microbial cells under anaerobic conditions in a liquid culture medium containing a formic acid compound, and then using the thus obtained cells for hydrogen generation.