It was discovered that when crystalline cellulose is pulverized using a planetary ball mill at 473 K, it becomes 100% water soluble. When this was hydrolyzed with a solid acid catalyst, monosaccharide was produced at a high yield of 89%. X-ray diffraction and molecular weight distribution measurements showed that cellulose that has been heated and pulverized becomes amorphous with a low molecular weight, and these structural changes are assumed to contribute to improving the reactivity of cellulose with the solid acid catalyst.