A reciprocating compressor comprising: a cylinder; a piston reciprocably disposed in the cylinder; a connecting rod connected to the piston; a shaft having a rotational axis perpendicular to a reciprocating direction of the piston, and connected to the connecting rod so that rotational motion of the shaft itself is converted into linear motion of the piston; and a bearing for supporting the shaft, wherein the reciprocating compressor is a cantilever type reciprocating compressor in which only one side of the shaft is supported by the bearing relative to the connecting rod, the shaft has a journal portion as a portion covered by the bearing, characterised in that the journal portion has a first journal portion and a second journal portion, the first journal portion being located closer to the connecting rod with respect to a midpoint of the journal portion in a direction parallel to the rotational axis, and the second journal portion being located farther from the connecting rod with respect to the midpoint, the bearing has a first sliding portion for supporting the first journal portion and a second sliding portion for supporting the second journal portion, and when a plane that is parallel to the reciprocating direction of the piston and includes the rotational axis of the shaft intersects an inner circumferential surface of the bearing at two positions and the position closer to the piston is defined as a reference position, the first sliding portion has a first recessed portion in at least one range selected from a range of 0° to 180° and a range of 270° to 360° in a rotational direction of the shaft from the reference position, the first recessed portion forming a larger bearing clearance than a bearing clearance formed in a range other than the ranges. a cylinder; a piston reciprocably disposed in the cylinder; a connecting rod connected to the piston; a shaft having a rotational axis perpendicular to a reciprocating direction of the piston, and connected to the connecting rod so that rotational motion of the shaft itself is converted into linear motion of the piston; and a bearing for supporting the shaft, wherein the reciprocating compressor is a cantilever type reciprocating compressor in which only one side of the shaft is supported by the bearing relative to the connecting rod, the shaft has a journal portion as a portion covered by the bearing, characterised in that the journal portion has a first journal portion and a second journal portion, the first journal portion being located closer to the connecting rod with respect to a midpoint of the journal portion in a direction parallel to the rotational axis, and the second journal portion being located farther from the connecting rod with respect to the midpoint, the bearing has a first sliding portion for supporting the first journal portion and a second sliding portion for supporting the second journal portion, and when a plane that is parallel to the reciprocating direction of the piston and includes the rotational axis of the shaft intersects an inner circumferential surface of the bearing at two positions and the position closer to the piston is defined as a reference position, the first sliding portion has a first recessed portion in at least one range selected from a range of 0° to 180° and a range of 270° to 360° in a rotational direction of the shaft from the reference position, the first recessed portion forming a larger bearing clearance than a bearing clearance formed in a range other than the ranges.