Method of producing carboxylic acid and alcohol

A method of obtaining carboxylic acid and alcohol from a carboxylic acid ester by a simple process and without the use of an entrainer is provided, wherein a liquid, which contains a carboxylic acid ester and in which at least a part of the components thereof is comprised of a side stream taken out from a first distillation tower operated in the total reflux condition, is fed into a hydrolysis reactor filled with an acid catalyst to obtain a reaction product liquid, comprised essentially of carboxylic acid, alcohol, water and carboxylic acid ester, this reaction product liquid is fed into the abovementioned first distillation tower, a bottom liquid, comprised essentially of carboxylic acid, alcohol, and water, is taken out from the bottom of this distillation tower, this bottom liquid is separated in a second distillation tower into a top distillate, having alcohol as the principal component, and a bottom liquid, comprised of carboxylic acid and water, this bottom liquid is separated in a third distillation tower into a top distillate, comprised of carboxylic acid and water, and a bottom liquid, comprised of carboxylic acid, and this top distillate is circulated back to the tower top of the first distillation tower and water is added to this tower top. Or, a liquid, which contains a carboxylic acid ester is fed into a first distillation tower, operated in the total reflux condition, a side stream form the first distillation tower is fed into a hydrolysis reactor filled with acid catalyst, the reaction product liquid, comprised essentially of carboxylic acid, alcohol, water, and carboxylic acid ester, is fed into the abovementioned first distillation tower, and thereafter distillation is performed in the same manner as described above.