A two-dimensional absolute encoding method of obtaining absolute positions in a first direction and a second direction of a scale, wherein, on the scale, a plurality of marks are two-dimensionally arranged with a predetermined space therebetween at a predetermined pitch along the first direction and the second direction, the method comprising steps of: detecting a first number of marks arranged in the first direction and a second number of marks arranged in the second direction; and obtaining absolute positions of the scale in the first direction and the second direction based on the detected first number of marks and the detected second number of marks, respectively, characterized in that each of the plurality of marks has one of a plurality of characteristics corresponding to pairs of information of a first quantized code and information of a second quantized code, wherein a plurality of first quantized codes are defined on the scale along the first direction, and each of first quantized code sequences included in the plurality of first quantized codes indicates a first coordinate of the scale in the first direction corresponding thereto, wherein a plurality of second quantized codes are defined on the scale along the second direction, and each of second quantized code sequences included in the plurality of second quantized codes indicates a second coordinate of the scale in the second direction corresponding thereto, a number of characteristics of the plurality of characteristics is based on a number of types of the first quantized code and a number of types of, the second quantized code, and one of the first quantized code sequences is generated based on detection of the first number of marks and information of the characteristics, the absolute position of the scale in the first direction is obtained based on the generated one of the first quantized code sequences, one of the second quantized code sequences is generated based on detection of the second number of marks and the information of the characteristics, and the absolute position of the scale in the second direction is obtained based on the generated one of the second quantized code sequences. detecting a first number of marks arranged in the first direction and a second number of marks arranged in the second direction; and obtaining absolute positions of the scale in the first direction and the second direction based on the detected first number of marks and the detected second number of marks, respectively, characterized in that each of the plurality of marks has one of a plurality of characteristics corresponding to pairs of information of a first quantized code and information of a second quantized code, wherein a plurality of first quantized codes are defined on the scale along the first direction, and each of first quantized code sequences included in the plurality of first quantized codes indicates a first coordinate of the scale in the first direction corresponding thereto, wherein a plurality of second quantized codes are defined on the scale along the second direction, and each of second quantized code sequences included in the plurality of second quantized codes indicates a second coordinate of the scale in the second direction corresponding thereto, a number of characteristics of the plurality of characteristics is based on a number of types of the first quantized code and a number of types of, the second quantized code, and one of the first quantized code sequences is generated based on detection of the first number of marks and information of the characteristics, the absolute position of the scale in the first direction is obtained based on the generated one of the first quantized code sequences, one of the second quantized code sequences is generated based on detection of the second number of marks and the information of the characteristics, and the absolute position of the scale in the second direction is obtained based on the generated one of the second quantized code sequences.