An information recording apparatus that records information on an information recording medium includes a setting mechanism that sets defect management information including information with respect to a specific area in a recording area of the information recording medium in which a defect detection process need not be performed, a recording mechanism that records data in the recording area, and a determining mechanism that determines whether to perform the defect detection process in a recording target area in the recording area in which the data is recorded, based on the defect management information and information with respect to the recording target area. By setting an AV data area as a specific area and by setting a PC data area as a defect management area, the continuity of data recorded in the AV data area is achieved, and the reliability of data recorded in the PC data area is ensured.