This paper deals with the applicability of the near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to quantitative measurement of the water content in human articular cartilage using gelatin model. We developed the device using NIR light at a wave length of 970nm, and investigated whether or not the device was useful for the measurement of the water content in articular cartilage. The gelatin was used as materials for the specimens with single, two- and three-layers. The absorbance defined as the intensity ratio between emitting and receiving NIR lights, the variation of receiving light intensity with the water content, and that with the distance between two probes of the light source and sensor were measured. The absorbance increased with increasing water content and with increasing probe distance (R^2=0.86～0.91). In the layered specimens, the light was supposed to pass through the surface layer and then reach the adjacent layer. These results showed that the device was useful for the measurement of the water content in the single and layered specimens. This study suggested that the device developed in this study have some possibilities of acquiring the quantitative data of water content at any point from the surface of articular cartilage.