Work holding apparatus, printing system and printing method

When printing is performed on a side surface of a work such as a glass, plastic container, or bottle having a rotationally symmetric shape around a rotational symmetric axis, regardless of the type of the work, the work is rotatably held around the rotational symmetric axis while the work is supported favorably, and the side surface of the work is printed well. This invention comprises: a first holding part that holds one end portion of the work in an axial direction of the rotational symmetric axis rotatably about a holding body part; and a second holding part that holds the other end portion of the work in the axial direction rotatably about the holding body part, wherein the first holding part holds the one end portion of the work via a self-aligning bearing.