A pointing device includes a displacement detection section that detects an amount of displacement and a direction of displacement of the self-pointing device; a wireless communication section that transmits information of the amount of displacement and the direction of displacement which are detected by the displacement detection section as a radio signal; one or a plurality of contact detection sections that detect the presence or the absence of a contact; and a power source control section that, while at least one of the contact detection sections detects any contact, supplies electric power to the wireless communication section and the displacement detection section, and that, while none of the contact detection sections detects any contact, does not supply electric power to the wireless communication section and the displacement detection section.