To provide a simple apparatus and method for drying capable of drying a matter to be dried containing a high water content and easily cracked in a drying step while sufficiently preventing a crack even under a high temperature condition, preventing the crack and performing remarkable shortening of the drying time.

The apparatus for drying comprises a drying container 1 having a first drying chamber 12a disposing a matter 2 to be dried, a second drying chamber 12b having an inlet 10 for introducing drying gas and an outlet 11 for exhausting wet gas and a separator 3 for partitioning between the chamber 12a and the chamber 12b to control the diffusion speed of steam from the chamber 12a to the chamber 12b, a heater 4 for heating the chambers 12a, 12b at a predetermined temperature to maintain it, and an air supply unit 5 connected to the inlet 10 to introduce drying air of a predetermined temperature to the chamber 12b.