A honeycomb filter comprising: a honeycomb fired body (10, 30) including porous cell partition walls (13, 33) defining a plurality of cells that serve as channels of exhaust gas, exhaust gas introduction cells (12, 12A, 32, 32A) each having an open end at an exhaust gas inlet side and a plugged end at an exhaust gas outlet side, exhaust gas emission cells (11, 11A, 11B, 31, 31A, 31B) each having an open end at the exhaust gas outlet side and a plugged end at the exhaust gas inlet side, and an outer wall (17, 37) on the periphery thereof, wherein the cross-sectional shape of each exhaust gas introduction cell (12, 12A, 32, 32A) in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction thereof is entirely uniform from the end at the exhaust gas inlet side to the end at the exhaust gas outlet side excluding the plugged portion, the cross-sectional shape of each exhaust gas emission cell (11, 11A, 11B, 31, 31A, 31B) in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction thereof is entirely uniform from the end at the exhaust gas inlet side to the end at the exhaust gas outlet side excluding the plugged portion, the exhaust gas emission cells (11, 11A, 11B, 31, 31A, 31B), except for the cells adjacent to the outer wall (17, 37), are each adjacently surrounded fully by the exhaust gas introduction cells (12, 12A, 32, 32A) across the porous cell partition walls (13, 33), the cells adjacent to the outer wall (17, 37) include the exhaust gas introduction cells (12, 12A, 32, 32A) and the exhaust gas emission cells (11, 11A, 11B, 31, 31A, 31B), wherein the honeycomb filter is formed by combining a plurality of honeycomb fired bodies with one another with an adhesive layer therebetween, and the number of the exhaust gas introduction cells (12, 12A, 32, 32A) is 3.2 to 4.0 times that of the exhaust gas emission cells (11, 11A, 11B, 31, 31A, 31B), and all the exhaust gas introduction cells (12, 12A, 32, 32A), except for the cells adjacent to the outer wall (17, 37), have the same cross-sectional area in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction thereof, the cross-sectional area of each exhaust gas introduction cell (12, 12A, 32, 32A) being smaller than that of each exhaust gas emission cell (11, 11A, 11B, 31, 31A, 31B) in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction thereof, wherein, in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cells, all the exhaust gas introduction cells (12, 12A, 32, 32A) are pentagonal, and the exhaust gas emission cells (11, 11A, 11B, 31, 31A, 31B) are square or octagonal. a honeycomb fired body (10, 30) including porous cell partition walls (13, 33) defining a plurality of cells that serve as channels of exhaust gas, exhaust gas introduction cells (12, 12A, 32, 32A) each having an open end at an exhaust gas inlet side and a plugged end at an exhaust gas outlet side, exhaust gas emission cells (11, 11A, 11B, 31, 31A, 31B) each having an open end at the exhaust gas outlet side and a plugged end at the exhaust gas inlet side, and an outer wall (17, 37) on the periphery thereof, wherein the cross-sectional shape of each exhaust gas introduction cell (12, 12A, 32, 32A) in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction thereof is entirely uniform from the end at the exhaust gas inlet side to the end at the exhaust gas outlet side excluding the plugged portion, the cross-sectional shape of each exhaust gas emission cell (11, 11A, 11B, 31, 31A, 31B) in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction thereof is entirely uniform from the end at the exhaust gas inlet side to the end at the exhaust gas outlet side excluding the plugged portion, the exhaust gas emission cells (11, 11A, 11B, 31, 31A, 31B), except for the cells adjacent to the outer wall (17, 37), are each adjacently surrounded fully by the exhaust gas introduction cells (12, 12A, 32, 32A) across the porous cell partition walls (13, 33), the cells adjacent to the outer wall (17, 37) include the exhaust gas introduction cells (12, 12A, 32, 32A) and the exhaust gas emission cells (11, 11A, 11B, 31, 31A, 31B), wherein the honeycomb filter is formed by combining a plurality of honeycomb fired bodies with one another with an adhesive layer therebetween, and the number of the exhaust gas introduction cells (12, 12A, 32, 32A) is 3.2 to 4.0 times that of the exhaust gas emission cells (11, 11A, 11B, 31, 31A, 31B), and all the exhaust gas introduction cells (12, 12A, 32, 32A), except for the cells adjacent to the outer wall (17, 37), have the same cross-sectional area in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction thereof, the cross-sectional area of each exhaust gas introduction cell (12, 12A, 32, 32A) being smaller than that of each exhaust gas emission cell (11, 11A, 11B, 31, 31A, 31B) in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction thereof,