A vacuum processing apparatus includes a vacuum processing chamber; a load lock chamber connected to the vacuum processing chamber via a gate valve or via a gate valve and a depressurized space and also connected to an atmospheric space via a door valve, an interior atmosphere of the load lock chamber being changed between a substantially atmospheric state and a depressurized state; an air blowing portion, provided at a vicinity of the door valve in the atmospheric space, for blowing a zonal airflow vertically downward from a position substantially even with or higher than a top end of a passageway of the door valve; and an air suctioning portion for suctioning the airflow or the inert gas from the air blowing portion by a vacuum force at a position substantially even with or lower than a bottom end of the passageway of the door valve.