Forging method and forging apparatus

A forging method comprising:

• setting a forging material in a shaping hole of a die body;
• pressing the forging material with a punch to perform plastic shaping of the forging material;
• applying ultrasonic vibration having a reference frequency as an initial value of a vibration frequency to the die body with a vibration applying apparatus during the plastic shaping of the forging material;
• and
• converging the vibration frequency to a resonance frequency of the die body during the plastic shaping of the forging material when the vibration frequency is within a tracking range of the vibration applying apparatus,
• wherein when the tracking range is shifted in accordance with a discontinuous change of the resonance frequency during the plastic shaping of the forging material to deviate from the vibration frequency, the reference frequency is changed so as to fall within a shifted tracking range.