Recording and reproducing apparatus for recording medium and recording and reproducing method

A recording and reproducing apparatus adapted for allowing a recording and reproducing head and a recording medium to relatively undergo traveling drive in a first movement direction and in a second movement direction opposite to the first movement direction to carry out recording and reproduction of information signal. The recording and reproducing apparatus is operative to record recording, at the recording end position in one of said movement directions, high speed retrieval designation information for carrying out an operation to retrieve the leading position of the signal recorded in the other movement direction, and, at the time of reproduction of the recording medium, to start said operation to retrieve said leading position on the basis of the high speed retrieval designation information recorded on the recording medium.