An internal combustion engine having a combustion chamber defined by a piston and a cylinder, and a fuel injection valve having a plurality of injection holes and placed close to an intake valve so as to inject fuel directly inside the cylinder from the side of the combustion chamber, the internal combustion engine wherein the plurality of injection holes are configured so that the spray shape which is the overall shape formed by the plurality of sprays injected from the plurality of injection holes in the fuel injection valve expands toward the cylinder head and forms one part of a conical shape that is dented near the piston; and each of the central axes of the plurality of sprays injected from a plurality of specific injection holes (101, 102, 104, 105) is oriented toward a boundary portion near the exhaust valve formed at the piston position by the crown surface of the piston and the inner wall of the cylinder when fuel is injected, and among said plurality of injection holes, the central axis of one single injection hole, not included above said plurality of specific injection holes (101, 102, 104 105), is oriented closer to the bottom dead center than to the boundary portion, wherein the placement of the fuel injection valve and the injection timing are configured so that the distance from the injection hole of the fuel injection valve and the crown surface of the piston or the inner wall of the cylinder is longest when fuel is injected, characterized in that, among the plurality of injection holes the central axis of the spray injected from the injection hole closest to the piston is placed so as not to be oriented toward the crown surface of the piston when the crank angle is 150 degrees after top dead center on the intake stroke; wherein among the plurality of injection holes the central axes are placed so as not to be oriented toward the crown surface of the piston when the crank angle is 110 degrees after top dead center on the intake stroke for the sprays injected from the remaining injection holes besides the injection hole closest to the piston; and wherein the injection hole closest to the piston is said one single injection hole. the plurality of injection holes are configured so that the spray shape which is the overall shape formed by the plurality of sprays injected from the plurality of injection holes in the fuel injection valve expands toward the cylinder head and forms one part of a conical shape that is dented near the piston; and each of the central axes of the plurality of sprays injected from a plurality of specific injection holes (101, 102, 104, 105) is oriented toward a boundary portion near the exhaust valve formed at the piston position by the crown surface of the piston and the inner wall of the cylinder when fuel is injected, and among said plurality of injection holes, the central axis of one single injection hole, not included above said plurality of specific injection holes (101, 102, 104 105), is oriented closer to the bottom dead center than to the boundary portion, wherein the placement of the fuel injection valve and the injection timing are configured so that the distance from the injection hole of the fuel injection valve and the crown surface of the piston or the inner wall of the cylinder is longest when fuel is injected, characterized in that, among the plurality of injection holes the central axis of the spray injected from the injection hole closest to the piston is placed so as not to be oriented toward the crown surface of the piston when the crank angle is 150 degrees after top dead center on the intake stroke; wherein among the plurality of injection holes the central axes are placed so as not to be oriented toward the crown surface of the piston when the crank angle is 110 degrees after top dead center on the intake stroke for the sprays injected from the remaining injection holes besides the injection hole closest to the piston; and wherein the injection hole closest to the piston is said one single injection hole.