An optical information reproducing method of reproducing multivalued
information recorded on a track of an optical information medium having a
recording/reproducing region, which has virtual cells arranged thereon at
regular spacings. The multivalued information is recorded thereon by
changing a length of an information pit in a track direction or an area
of the information pit in a cell with the use of a light spot. The
multivalued information is reproduced by detecting the level of a
multistage reproduced signal from the information pit. The method
includes sampling a reproduced signal in the multivalued information
recorded in one cell with an M-value (M