There is provided a method of driving an electrophoretic display device including a first substrate, a second substrate opposed to the first substrate, a plurality of microcapsules including electrophoretic particles, the plurality of microcapsules being arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate, a plurality of first electrodes formed on the plurality of microcapsules side of the first substrate, the plurality of first electrodes being arranged at a pitch equal to or smaller than an average diameter of the plurality of microcapsules in at least one direction, and a second electrode formed on the plurality of microcapsules side of the second substrate, the second electrode being opposed to the plurality of first electrodes. One or a plurality of the first electrodes are set as a driving unit. During removing a displayed image, the second electrode is in an electrically isolated condition. And electric potentials are applied to the plurality of the first electrodes such that the driving units adjacently located in at least one direction have different electric potentials.