Provided are: a method for producing a mycrosporine-like amino acid (MAA) that includes a step in which microbes are cultivated that produce MAA on the outside of bacterial cells, a step in which the bacterial cells and extracellular culture fluid are separated, and a step in which the MAA is recovered from the extracellular culture fluid; an MAA indicated by formula (1), an MAA produced using this method, or an ultraviolet-absorbing composition including the MAA indicated by formula (1); and a composition including the MAA produced using this method or the MAA indicated by formula (1), for preventing at least one symptom or disease selected from a group comprising acute skin reactions, aging of the skin, and skin cancer.