Provided is a ceramic-body surface inspecting method with which the presence or absence of a crack can be determined more accurately than hitherto. The method includes: an imaging step for picking up an image of a region for irradiation of a surface for inspection, in a state where the region for irradiation is irradiated with at least one of first illumination light and second illumination light that are emitted to the surface for inspection from directions between which an imaging means is interposed and which are different from each other; a determinant image generating step for generating a determinant image on the basis of the imaging result; and a determining step for making a determination on the basis of the determinant image. When it is assumed that a first determinant image is generated on the basis of a first imaging result obtained in a state where at least the first illumination light is applied and a second determinant image is generated on the basis of a second imaging result in a state where at least the second illumination light is applied, the first and second determinant images are generated such that the presence or absence of a crack can be determined on the basis of the difference, which is found when both of the images are compared, in the formation modes of shadow regions in the respective images.