A lens driving apparatus includes: a lens 16a a soft iron 31 that holds the lens 16a to be movable between an end part and the other end part magnets 33 and 34 that attract and hold the soft iron 31 when the soft iron 31 comes into contact with one of the end part and the other end part a driver circuit 22 that generates a drive signal bringing the soft iron 31 into contact with one of the end part and the other end part an operation section 11 that instructs the driver circuit 22 to move the soft iron 31 to bring the soft iron into contact with one of the end part and the other end part and a timing generation circuit 21 that generates a drive signal causing the soft iron 31 to move in an instructed direction and supplies the drive signal to the driver circuit 22, and controls the driver circuit 22 to periodically generate the drive signal causing the soft iron 31 to move toward an instructed end part even after the soft iron 31 comes into contact with the instructed end part.
