A communication device (2, 3, 4, 5) connected to a content-centric network comprising: a storage (24, 33, 43) for accumulating contents; a receiver (22, 31, 41) for receiving an interest to which search criteria set information including a search criteria set and search target ID information are added, the search target ID information identifying a search target; a controller (23, 32, 42) configured to perform: a search process on the contents accumulated in the storage (24, 33, 43), aiming to find one or more contents which meet the search criteria set; and a matching process for verifying whether the content found in the search process matches the search target ID information to acquire the content regarding the search target; and a transmitter (22, 31, 41) for transmitting the content regarding the search target to a communication device (2, 3, 4, 5) of a content request source, characterized in that - in a case where the storage (24, 33, 43) stores the content which meets the search criteria set and the controller (23, 32, 42) performs the matching process on the content, the controller (23, 32, 42) adds content associated information associated with the content to the interest, and then transmits the interests to a different communication device (2, 3, 4, 5), or in that - even in a case where the storage (24, 33, 43) stores the content which meets the search criteria set, the controller (23, 32, 42) does not perform the matching process on the content, but causes the transmitter (22, 31, 41) to transmit the content along with the interest to a different communication device (2, 3, 4, 5), wherein the controller (23, 32, 42) determines whether the controller (23, 32, 42) performs the matching process on the content stored in the storage (24, 33, 43) or entrusts the matching process to the different communication device (2, 3, 4, 5) based on at least one of a processing load of the controller (23, 32, 42), how many content(s) is/are waiting to undergo the matching process, and a capability of the controller (23, 32, 42). a storage (24, 33, 43) for accumulating contents; a receiver (22, 31, 41) for receiving an interest to which search criteria set information including a search criteria set and search target ID information are added, the search target ID information identifying a search target; a controller (23, 32, 42) configured to perform: a search process on the contents accumulated in the storage (24, 33, 43), aiming to find one or more contents which meet the search criteria set; and a matching process for verifying whether the content found in the search process matches the search target ID information to acquire the content regarding the search target; and a search process on the contents accumulated in the storage (24, 33, 43), aiming to find one or more contents which meet the search criteria set; and a matching process for verifying whether the content found in the search process matches the search target ID information to acquire the content regarding the search target; and a transmitter (22, 31, 41) for transmitting the content regarding the search target to a communication device (2, 3, 4, 5) of a content request source, characterized in that - in a case where the storage (24, 33, 43) stores the content which meets the search criteria set and the controller (23, 32, 42) performs the matching process on the content, the controller (23, 32, 42) adds content associated information associated with the content to the interest, and then transmits the interests to a different communication device (2, 3, 4, 5), or in that - even in a case where the storage (24, 33, 43) stores the content which meets the search criteria set, the controller (23, 32, 42) does not perform the matching process on the content, but causes the transmitter (22, 31, 41) to transmit the content along with the interest to a different communication device (2, 3, 4, 5), wherein the controller (23, 32, 42) determines whether the controller (23, 32, 42) performs the matching process on the content stored in the storage (24, 33, 43) or entrusts the matching process to the different communication device (2, 3, 4, 5) based on at least one of a processing load of the controller (23, 32, 42), how many content(s) is/are waiting to undergo the matching process, and a capability of the controller (23, 32, 42). - in a case where the storage (24, 33, 43) stores the content which meets the search criteria set and the controller (23, 32, 42) performs the matching process on the content, the controller (23, 32, 42) adds content associated information associated with the content to the interest, and then transmits the interests to a different communication device (2, 3, 4, 5), or in that - even in a case where the storage (24, 33, 43) stores the content which meets the search criteria set, the controller (23, 32, 42) does not perform the matching process on the content, but causes the transmitter (22, 31, 41) to transmit the content along with the interest to a different communication device (2, 3, 4, 5), wherein the controller (23, 32, 42) determines whether the controller (23, 32, 42) performs the matching process on the content stored in the storage (24, 33, 43) or entrusts the matching process to the different communication device (2, 3, 4, 5) based on at least one of a processing load of the controller (23, 32, 42), how many content(s) is/are waiting to undergo the matching process, and a capability of the controller (23, 32, 42).