The glass base material drawing apparatus for heating and drawing a glass base material has a storage unit (12) for storing the glass base material having an opening unit (21,30) that is opened along the longitudinal direction of the storage unit when the glass base material (11) is placed inside the storage unit (12), a heating unit (13) for heating the glass base material (11) that has been stored inside the storage unit (12) via the opening unit, and a pull-out unit (6) for pulling out the glass base material heated by the heating unit. The opening unit may be opened in such a manner that the glass base material (11) is moved from a side direction of the storage unit into the interior of the storage unit (12). A main axis (14) for supporting the glass base material (11) is connected to the glass base material. The storage unit (12) may have a penetration hole (24) through which the main axis (14) is inserted when the opening unit is closed. <IMAGE>
