A wireless communication apparatus comprising: an indirect wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication that involves an access point; a direct wireless communication unit that performs direct wireless communication that does not involve the access point; and a control unit that controls a search for the access point that is performed sequentially on a plurality of channels (CH1-CH13), wherein if the direct wireless communication is not activated, the control unit is configured to control the indirect wireless communication unit to search for the access point with a fixed periodicity by transmitting a probe request (PR1 n -PR13 n) on each of the plurality of channels, so that a probe request is transmitted on all of the plurality of channels (CH1-CH13) over each period of the fixed periodicity during the search, the wireless communication apparatus being further characterized by: if the direct wireless communication is activated: the control unit is configured to divide the plurality of channels into a plurality of sub-groups of channels, each sub-group (CH1-CH3) containing selected channels to be searched in a fixed periodicity, and the plurality of sub-groups as a whole making up the entire plurality of channels (CH1-CH13), the control unit is configured to control the indirect wireless communication unit to search for the access point by transmitting a probe request on each channel within one of the sub-groups (CH1-CH3) so that a probe request (PR1 n -PR13 n) is transmitted only on the selected channels over each fixed periodicity, and the control unit is configured to control the indirect wireless communication unit to search for the access point by sequentially searching on each of the plurality of sub-groups with the fixed periodicity so that all of the plurality of channels are searched after a predetermined number of the fixed periodicities, wherein the direct wireless communication that does not involve the access point is delayed during the search in each fixed periodicity. an indirect wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication that involves an access point; a direct wireless communication unit that performs direct wireless communication that does not involve the access point; and a control unit that controls a search for the access point that is performed sequentially on a plurality of channels (CH1-CH13), wherein if the direct wireless communication is not activated, the control unit is configured to control the indirect wireless communication unit to search for the access point with a fixed periodicity by transmitting a probe request (PR1 n -PR13 n) on each of the plurality of channels, so that a probe request is transmitted on all of the plurality of channels (CH1-CH13) over each period of the fixed periodicity during the search, the wireless communication apparatus being further characterized by: if the direct wireless communication is activated: the control unit is configured to divide the plurality of channels into a plurality of sub-groups of channels, each sub-group (CH1-CH3) containing selected channels to be searched in a fixed periodicity, and the plurality of sub-groups as a whole making up the entire plurality of channels (CH1-CH13), the control unit is configured to control the indirect wireless communication unit to search for the access point by transmitting a probe request on each channel within one of the sub-groups (CH1-CH3) so that a probe request (PR1 n -PR13 n) is transmitted only on the selected channels over each fixed periodicity, and the control unit is configured to control the indirect wireless communication unit to search for the access point by sequentially searching on each of the plurality of sub-groups with the fixed periodicity so that all of the plurality of channels are searched after a predetermined number of the fixed periodicities, wherein the direct wireless communication that does not involve the access point is delayed during the search in each fixed periodicity. the control unit is configured to divide the plurality of channels into a plurality of sub-groups of channels, each sub-group (CH1-CH3) containing selected channels to be searched in a fixed periodicity, and the plurality of sub-groups as a whole making up the entire plurality of channels (CH1-CH13), the control unit is configured to control the indirect wireless communication unit to search for the access point by transmitting a probe request on each channel within one of the sub-groups (CH1-CH3) so that a probe request (PR1 n -PR13 n) is transmitted only on the selected channels over each fixed periodicity, and the control unit is configured to control the indirect wireless communication unit to search for the access point by sequentially searching on each of the plurality of sub-groups with the fixed periodicity so that all of the plurality of channels are searched after a predetermined number of the fixed periodicities, wherein the direct wireless communication that does not involve the access point is delayed during the search in each fixed periodicity.