A coating composition comprising: metal oxide particles with a high refractive index constituted with (a) fine particles of a titanium-based oxide having an average particle diameter, as measured by a dynamic light scattering method, in the range of 15 to 60 nm, and (b) a coating layer formed on a surface each of the fine particles of the titanium-based oxide with at least a silica-based oxide or a silica-based composite oxide, wherein said fine particles of the titanium-based oxide are crystalline particles with a rutile-type crystal structure and have a crystallite diameter, as determined by X-ray diffraction, in the range of 7.5 to 14.0 nm, a specific surface area in the range of 70 to 155 m 2 /g and a refractive index in the range of 2.2 to 2.7, and said coating layer has a refractive index which is lower than the refractive index of the fine particles as described above by 0.2 or more, and said metal oxide particles each having the above coating layer have a refractive index in the range of 2.0 to 2.5; and a binder component, wherein (i) the fine particles of the titanium-based oxide have a spacing d 1 of the crystal face, as determined by X-ray diffraction, in the range of 0.1440 to 0.1460 nm, and a spacing d 2 of the crystal face, as determined by the same X-ray diffraction, in the range of 0.1355 to 0.1370 nm; and/or (ii) the fine particles of the titanium-based oxide have a relative ratio (P 1 /P 2) of a peak intensity P 1 of the crystal face to a peak intensity P 2 of the crystal face, as determined by X-ray diffraction, in the range of 9/100 to 20/100; and further wherein (iii) in a frequency distribution of particle diameter obtainable when the fine particles of the titanium-based oxide are measured by a dynamic light scattering method, the distribution frequency of coarse particles larger than 100 mm in the particle diameter is not more than 1%. metal oxide particles with a high refractive index constituted with (a) fine particles of a titanium-based oxide having an average particle diameter, as measured by a dynamic light scattering method, in the range of 15 to 60 nm, and (b) a coating layer formed on a surface each of the fine particles of the titanium-based oxide with at least a silica-based oxide or a silica-based composite oxide, wherein said fine particles of the titanium-based oxide are crystalline particles with a rutile-type crystal structure and have a crystallite diameter, as determined by X-ray diffraction, in the range of 7.5 to 14.0 nm, a specific surface area in the range of 70 to 155 m 2 /g and a refractive index in the range of 2.2 to 2.7, and said coating layer has a refractive index which is lower than the refractive index of the fine particles as described above by 0.2 or more, and said metal oxide particles each having the above coating layer have a refractive index in the range of 2.0 to 2.5; and a binder component, wherein (i) the fine particles of the titanium-based oxide have a spacing d 1 of the crystal face, as determined by X-ray diffraction, in the range of 0.1440 to 0.1460 nm, and a spacing d 2 of the crystal face, as determined by the same X-ray diffraction, in the range of 0.1355 to 0.1370 nm; and/or (ii) the fine particles of the titanium-based oxide have a relative ratio (P 1 /P 2) of a peak intensity P 1 of the crystal face to a peak intensity P 2 of the crystal face, as determined by X-ray diffraction, in the range of 9/100 to 20/100; and further wherein (iii) in a frequency distribution of particle diameter obtainable when the fine particles of the titanium-based oxide are measured by a dynamic light scattering method, the distribution frequency of coarse particles larger than 100 mm in the particle diameter is not more than 1%. (i) the fine particles of the titanium-based oxide have a spacing d 1 of the crystal face, as determined by X-ray diffraction, in the range of 0.1440 to 0.1460 nm, and a spacing d 2 of the crystal face, as determined by the same X-ray diffraction, in the range of 0.1355 to 0.1370 nm; and/or (ii) the fine particles of the titanium-based oxide have a relative ratio (P 1 /P 2) of a peak intensity P 1 of the crystal face to a peak intensity P 2 of the crystal face, as determined by X-ray diffraction, in the range of 9/100 to 20/100; and further wherein (iii) in a frequency distribution of particle diameter obtainable when the fine particles of the titanium-based oxide are measured by a dynamic light scattering method, the distribution frequency of coarse particles larger than 100 mm in the particle diameter is not more than 1%.