Abstract: A method for dislodging cultured cells has the steps of preparing a culture container which has a growing surface on which cultured cells are grown, and which is filled with a culture solution in contact with the cultured cells, supporting the culture container on a pedestal to be reciprocally movable in a direction parallel to the growing surface, and reciprocally moving the culture container in the direction parallel to the growing surface and thus applying an inertial force on the cultured cells in the direction parallel to the growing surface, thereby dislodging the cultured cells from the growing surface. An apparatus for dislodging cultured cells has the pedestal for supporting the culture container and a reciprocating device for reciprocally moving the culture container supported on the pedestal in the direction parallel to the growing surface.