An image reading apparatus includes: plural image pickup elements which
are arranged unidirectionally, each image pickup element including plural
photoelectric transducers that convert reflected light from an original
document into pixel signals, and a forwarding unit that serially forwards
pixel signals acquired by the photoelectric transducers; a dividing unit
that divides outputs of the photoelectric transducers into plural
processing paths so that pixel signals acquired by photoelectric
transducers located on both sides of a boundary between adjacent image
pickup elements are included in the same division unit; and an
interpolation unit that executes pixel interpolation, using the pixel
signals acquired by the photoelectric transducers located on both sides
of the boundary among the pixel signals divided by the dividing unit.