To provide a bar code reading method by which the reading rate of a bar code 12 is increased by reading the bar code 12 in correspondence with the vibration of the positional relation between the bar code 12 and a bar code reader 21.

A bar code reader holding body 22 holding the direction of the bar code reader 21 variably is moved in the direction of varying a distance and a height of the reader 21 with respect to the bar code 12. The distance and the height with respect to the bar code 12 of the reader 21 are varied and the direction of the reader 21 is varied freely with moving of the holding body 22. The distance, the height and the direction with respect to the bar code 12 of the reader 12 is varied to read the bar code 12 in correspondence with the variation of the positional relation between the bar code 12 and the reader 21, thereby the reading rate of the bar code 12 is increased.