Nucleic acid amplification method and nucleic acid amplification apparatus

A nucleic acid amplification apparatus comprising:

• an attachment part to which a container housing a droplet containing a template nucleic acid and a sample necessary for amplification of a target nucleic acid in the template nucleic acid is attached;
• a heater that heats a first region in the container attached to the attachment part to a denaturation temperature of the target nucleic acid and heating a second region independent of the first region to a synthesis temperature of the target nucleic acid;
• a movement mechanism that moves the droplet from the first region to the second region or from the second region to the first region;
• and
• a control section that controls the movement mechanism to repeat a cycle through a denaturation stage at which the droplet is retained in the first region and a synthesis stage at which the droplet is retained in the second region at a plurality of times,
• wherein the control section makes periods of part of cycles of the plurality of the cycles shorter than periods of the other cycles.