An image reading apparatus comprising: - a light source configured to apply light to a section to be imaged of a document; - an imaging optics system configured to form an image upon condensing scattered light of the light reflected by the section, the imaging optics system including a plurality of cells (11, 12,...) which are arranged in a main scanning direction, each of which is independent from each other, has a document side telecentric optics system, and has a first optical element condensing the scattered light reflected by the section, an aperture arranged at a back focal point position of the first optical element and a second optical element condensing the light passing through the aperture, wherein - the cells (11, 12,...) are arranged in a sub-scanning direction in two rows of a first row and a second row with a plurality of cells in the first and second rows arranged at predetermined intervals in the main scanning direction, and are arranged such that the optical axes of the cells (11, 12,...) arranged in a same row are in parallel with each other, and - wherein each cell (11, 13,...) in the first row and each cell (12, 14,...) in the second row are arranged zigzag in the main scanning direction so that an image region obtained by the cell in the first row and an image region obtained by the cell in the second row, wherein the cell in the first row and the cell in the second row are neighboring in the sub-scanning direction, are overlapped partially in the main scanning direction, and a formed image is complemented between the neighboring cells in the sub-scanning direction; - a plurality of image pickup device units (41, 42,...) arranged to correspond to the respective cells (11, 12,...) and configured such that images are formed by the respective lights passing through the second optical elements of the cells arranged in the first row and in the second row and are picked up; - a memory configured to store the image information transmitted from image pickup device units (41, 42,...) neighbouring in the sub-scanning direction; and - a processor configured to create a document image by combining the respective image information obtained from the neighboring cells in the sub-scanning direction so that the image information in overlapped areas in the main scanning direction of the neighboring cells in the sub-scanning direction match with each other, - wherein the cells (11, 12,...) arranged in the first row and the second row are arranged such that the optical axes of the cells (11, 13, 15,...) arranged in the first row, and the optical axes of the cells (12, 14,...) arranged in the second row are inclined toward a gap side between the first row and the second row. - a light source configured to apply light to a section to be imaged of a document; - an imaging optics system configured to form an image upon condensing scattered light of the light reflected by the section, the imaging optics system including a plurality of cells (11, 12,...) which are arranged in a main scanning direction, each of which is independent from each other, has a document side telecentric optics system, and has a first optical element condensing the scattered light reflected by the section, an aperture arranged at a back focal point position of the first optical element and a second optical element condensing the light passing through the aperture, wherein - the cells (11, 12,...) are arranged in a sub-scanning direction in two rows of a first row and a second row with a plurality of cells in the first and second rows arranged at predetermined intervals in the main scanning direction, and are arranged such that the optical axes of the cells (11, 12,...) arranged in a same row are in parallel with each other, and - wherein each cell (11, 13,...) in the first row and each cell (12, 14,...) in the second row are arranged zigzag in the main scanning direction so that an image region obtained by the cell in the first row and an image region obtained by the cell in the second row, wherein the cell in the first row and the cell in the second row are neighboring in the sub-scanning direction, are overlapped partially in the main scanning direction, and a formed image is complemented between the neighboring cells in the sub-scanning direction; - a plurality of image pickup device units (41, 42,...) arranged to correspond to the respective cells (11, 12,...) and configured such that images are formed by the respective lights passing through the second optical elements of the cells arranged in the first row and in the second row and are picked up; - a memory configured to store the image information transmitted from image pickup device units (41, 42,...) neighbouring in the sub-scanning direction; and - a processor configured to create a document image by combining the respective image information obtained from the neighboring cells in the sub-scanning direction so that the image information in overlapped areas in the main scanning direction of the neighboring cells in the sub-scanning direction match with each other, - wherein the cells (11, 12,...) arranged in the first row and the second row are arranged such that the optical axes of the cells (11, 13, 15,...) arranged in the first row, and the optical axes of the cells (12, 14,...) arranged in the second row are inclined toward a gap side between the first row and the second row.