1. A recognition apparatus for recognizing sorting information as a character string written within one of a cellophane region and label region of a paper-like material, comprising: reading means for reading a density value of each pixel in a main scanning direction and sub-scanning direction of the paper-like material; first determining means for determining a portion in which a variation in the density value exceeds a preset value based on the density value of each pixel read by said reading means; second determining means for determining said one of the cellophane region and label region of the paper-like material based on the portion which is determined by said first determining means that a variation in the density value exceeds the preset value; and recognizing means for recognizing the sorting information based on the character string written within said one of the cellophane region and label region determined by said second determining means.