A tantalum sputtering target containing niobium and tungsten as essential components in a total amount of 1 massppm or more and less than 10 massppm, and having a purity of 99.9999% or higher excluding niobium, tungsten and gas components. Provided is a high purity tantalum sputtering target comprising a uniform and fine structure which is adjusted to be within an optimal range and which enables deposition of a uniform film at a high deposition rate in a stable manner.