A radiation curable ink jet composition includes polymerizable compounds; and a photopolymerization initiator, the polymerizable compounds include a vinyl ether group-containing (meth)acrylate represented by the following general formula (I), a content of the vinyl ether group-containing (meth)acrylate with respect to a total mass of the radiation curable ink jet composition is 15 percent by mass or more, and the photopolymerization initiator includes ethyl (2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phenylphosphinate.

H2C═CR1—CO—OR2—O—CH═CH—R3  (I)

In the above formula, R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, R2 represents a divalent organic residue having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, and R3 represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic residue having 1 to 11 carbon atoms.