Radiographic image reading method and radiographic image reading apparatus

A radiographic image reading method includes: scanning a photostimulable phosphor plate with excitation light by a scanning section such that a relative relationship between an average area S of column crystals of a photostimulable phosphor and an average area S of a beam of the excitation light emitted from a light source is S≧10×S, the photostimulable phosphor plate comprising: a support; and a photostimulable phosphor layer comprising the column crystals of the photostimulable phosphor formed on a surface of the support, wherein radiation energy is stored in the photostimulable phosphor layer; and detecting photostimulated light by a detector, which is emitted from the photostimulable phosphor layer by the scanning with the excitation light.