To provide an ink jet printing apparatus which can reduce waste ink as much as possible and shorten the amount of time spend on the following wiping process, and a recovery operation method therefor, whereby a first process and a second process are carried out, the first process for discharging ink that does not contribute to the printing from the print head while supplying ink from the ink reservoir portion to the print head by way of the first ink passage connected to one end of the print head, and the second process for discharging ink that does not contribute to the printing from the print head while supplying ink from the ink reservoir portion to the print head by way of the second ink passage connected to the other end of the print head.