A negative resist composition containing as base resin a novolak resin having repeating unit “a”, wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom, a hydroxy group, or any of a linear, a branched, or a cyclic alkyl group, alkoxy group, acyl group, acyloxy group, and alkoxy carbonyl group, these groups having 1 to 6 carbon atoms; and R2 represents a hydrogen atom, any of a linear, a branched, or cyclic alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, alkenyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, aryl group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, which may contain a hydroxy group, an alkoxy group, an ether group, a thioether group, a carboxyl group, an alkoxy carbonyl group, and an acyloxy group. “A” is within the range of 0