An image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of image carriers (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d); an intermediate transfer belt that is formed in an endless shape, and onto which toner images formed on the image carriers (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) are transferred; a plurality of stretching rollers (10, 11) that rotatably stretch the intermediate transfer belt; a belt cleaning device having a cleaning blade of which a leading end portion is oriented toward an upstream side in a rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt and abuts on an outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt to thereby remove residual toner adhered to the intermediate transfer belt; and a counter roller that is disposed facing the cleaning blade with the intermediate transfer belt interposed therebetween in such a manner that the counter roller is in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt, wherein the plurality of stretching rollers (10, 11) include a driving roller that is disposed at one end in an arrangement direction of the plurality of image carriers (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) and that drives the intermediate transfer belt to rotate, and a driven roller that is disposed at another end in the arrangement direction, the belt cleaning device is disposed at a position that is downstream of the driving roller in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt but is upstream of the driven roller in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt, a top (P40a) of the counter roller is disposed above a top of the driving roller and a top of the driven roller, wherein the plurality of image carriers (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) are disposed at positions that are upstream of the driving roller in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt but are downstream of the driven roller in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt, a leading end edge portion of the cleaning blade that abuts on the intermediate transfer belt is disposed upstream of the top (P40a) of the counter roller in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt, and the leading end edge portion is disposed downstream of an intersection position in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt, the intersection position (P40b) being a position at which a horizontal plane that passes through the top of the driving roller and an outer circumferential surface of the counter roller intersect with each other. a plurality of image carriers (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d); an intermediate transfer belt that is formed in an endless shape, and onto which toner images formed on the image carriers (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) are transferred; a plurality of stretching rollers (10, 11) that rotatably stretch the intermediate transfer belt; a belt cleaning device having a cleaning blade of which a leading end portion is oriented toward an upstream side in a rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt and abuts on an outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt to thereby remove residual toner adhered to the intermediate transfer belt; and a counter roller that is disposed facing the cleaning blade with the intermediate transfer belt interposed therebetween in such a manner that the counter roller is in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt, wherein the plurality of stretching rollers (10, 11) include a driving roller that is disposed at one end in an arrangement direction of the plurality of image carriers (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) and that drives the intermediate transfer belt to rotate, and a driven roller that is disposed at another end in the arrangement direction, the belt cleaning device is disposed at a position that is downstream of the driving roller in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt but is upstream of the driven roller in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt, a top (P40a) of the counter roller is disposed above a top of the driving roller and a top of the driven roller, wherein the plurality of image carriers (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) are disposed at positions that are upstream of the driving roller in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt but are downstream of the driven roller in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt, a leading end edge portion of the cleaning blade that abuts on the intermediate transfer belt is disposed upstream of the top (P40a) of the counter roller in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt, and the leading end edge portion is disposed downstream of an intersection position in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt, the intersection position (P40b) being a position at which a horizontal plane that passes through the top of the driving roller and an outer circumferential surface of the counter roller intersect with each other.