An electric power receiving apparatus for receiving electric power in a contactless manner from an electric power transmitting apparatus, said electric power receiving apparatus comprising: a self-resonant coil configured to receive electric power in a contactless manner from said electric power transmitting apparatus; a variable capacitor connected to said self-resonant coil and having a capacitance variable within a prescribed variable range; and a controller for controlling the capacitance of said variable capacitor, characterized in that said variable capacitor is designed to have the capacitance that is set greater than a median value of said variable range, when said electric power receiving apparatus has a resonance frequency approximately identical to a resonance frequency of said electric power transmitting apparatus that is kept at a certain value in a case where a distance between said electric power transmitting apparatus and said electric power receiving apparatus is equal to a prescribed reference distance, and said controller is configured to: search for a capacitance at which received electric power received from said electric power transmitting apparatus is at its maximum while changing the capacitance of said variable capacitor in a case where the distance between said electric power transmitting apparatus and said electric power receiving apparatus deviates from the prescribed reference distance; and adjust the capacitance of said variable capacitor at a capacitance at which said received electric power searched is at its maximum, wherein the electric power receiving apparatus further comprises a capacitor connected in parallel to said variable capacitor and having a fixed capacitance. a self-resonant coil configured to receive electric power in a contactless manner from said electric power transmitting apparatus; a variable capacitor connected to said self-resonant coil and having a capacitance variable within a prescribed variable range; and a controller for controlling the capacitance of said variable capacitor, characterized in that said variable capacitor is designed to have the capacitance that is set greater than a median value of said variable range, when said electric power receiving apparatus has a resonance frequency approximately identical to a resonance frequency of said electric power transmitting apparatus that is kept at a certain value in a case where a distance between said electric power transmitting apparatus and said electric power receiving apparatus is equal to a prescribed reference distance, and said controller is configured to: search for a capacitance at which received electric power received from said electric power transmitting apparatus is at its maximum while changing the capacitance of said variable capacitor in a case where the distance between said electric power transmitting apparatus and said electric power receiving apparatus deviates from the prescribed reference distance; and adjust the capacitance of said variable capacitor at a capacitance at which said received electric power searched is at its maximum, search for a capacitance at which received electric power received from said electric power transmitting apparatus is at its maximum while changing the capacitance of said variable capacitor in a case where the distance between said electric power transmitting apparatus and said electric power receiving apparatus deviates from the prescribed reference distance; and adjust the capacitance of said variable capacitor at a capacitance at which said received electric power searched is at its maximum, wherein the electric power receiving apparatus further comprises a capacitor connected in parallel to said variable capacitor and having a fixed capacitance.