A matching apparatus comprising: a provider-side metadata acquisition part configured to acquire provider-side metadata regarding a first terminal that provides sensing data, the provider-side metadata including at least a current position of the first terminal; a user-side metadata acquisition part configured to acquire user-side metadata regarding sensing data that is to be used by a second terminal; a matching part configured to perform matching with the user-side metadata, using the current position of the first terminal included in the provider-side metadata and the current time, and decide whether to request the first terminal to provide the sensing data; and a request part configured to request the first terminal to provide sensing data, based on the decision by the matching part , wherein the user-side metadata includes a content of the sensing data, an acquisition position of the sensing data, and an acquisition time of the sensing data and characterised in that , if the difference in time between: the time when the first terminal reaches a position, where the distance of the first terminal from the sensing data acquisition position included in the user-side metadata is shorter than or equal to a first setting distance, and the sensing data acquisition time included in the user-side metadata is within a first setting time period, then the matching part is configured to decide to request the first terminal to provide the sensing data. a provider-side metadata acquisition part configured to acquire provider-side metadata regarding a first terminal that provides sensing data, the provider-side metadata including at least a current position of the first terminal; a user-side metadata acquisition part configured to acquire user-side metadata regarding sensing data that is to be used by a second terminal; a matching part configured to perform matching with the user-side metadata, using the current position of the first terminal included in the provider-side metadata and the current time, and decide whether to request the first terminal to provide the sensing data; and a request part configured to request the first terminal to provide sensing data, based on the decision by the matching part , wherein the user-side metadata includes a content of the sensing data, an acquisition position of the sensing data, and an acquisition time of the sensing data and characterised in that , if the difference in time between: the time when the first terminal reaches a position, where the distance of the first terminal from the sensing data acquisition position included in the user-side metadata is shorter than or equal to a first setting distance, and the sensing data acquisition time included in the user-side metadata is within a first setting time period, then the matching part is configured to decide to request the first terminal to provide the sensing data. the time when the first terminal reaches a position, where the distance of the first terminal from the sensing data acquisition position included in the user-side metadata is shorter than or equal to a first setting distance, and the sensing data acquisition time included in the user-side metadata is within a first setting time period, then the matching part is configured to decide to request the first terminal to provide the sensing data. <EOS>