A coating film removal method for a coated member having a coating film formed over the surface of a substrate is disclosed, which can easily achieve a coating film removal, even for a carbon-based coating film containing carbon as a main component, besides a carbon-based coating film containing a metal element etc. A coated member regeneration method is also disclosed, which removes a coating film from a coated member, and then forms a new coating film over the member, to regenerate the coated member. The coating film removal method is adapted to remove a carbon-based coating film from a coated member (10) including a substrate, and the carbon-based coating film coated on at least a portion of a surface of the substrate while containing carbon as a main component. The coating film removal method includes bringing a molten salt having an oxidizing function for carbon into contact with the carbon-based coating film, to remove at least a portion of the carbon-based coating film coated over the surface of the substrate. A coated member regeneration method includes removing the carbon-based coating film from the coated member, using such coating film removal method, and subsequently forming a coating film on at least a portion of a surface of the film-removed member (11).