To provide a phosphor having a broad emission spectrum in a range of blue color (peak wavelength from 400 nm to 500 nm), having a broad and flat excitation band in the range of near ultraviolet / ultraviolet, and having excellent emission efficiency and emission intensity / luminance. The phosphor is expressed by a general composition formula MmAaBbOoNn:Z (where element M is more than one kind of element having bivalent valency, element A is more than one kind of element having tervalent valency, element B is more than one kind of element having tetravalent valency, O is oxygen, N is nitrogen, and element Z is more than one kind of element acting as an activator.), satisfying 5.0<(a+b) / m<9.0, 0≦a / m≦2.0, 0≦o<n, n=2 / 3m+a+4 / 3b−2 / 3o, and having an emission spectrum with a maximum peak wavelength from 400 nm to 500 nm under an excitation of the light in a wavelength range from 350 nm to 430 nm.