There is provided is sliding body surface evaluation method and apparatus configured so that a temporal change in a transformed portion at a sliding portion of a sliding body can be observed. The method includes a first step of irradiating, with an electromagnetic wave, a sliding portion of a sliding body sliding on a sliding target body, a second step of detecting light emitted from the sliding portion irradiated with the electromagnetic wave, and a third step of deriving a change in a light emission state of the sliding portion.