A liquid coating method for coating a liquid onto inner cells of a honeycomb structure includes the steps of supplying a liquid to the inside of a honeycomb structure vertically arranged from its lower part to cause the liquid to adhere to the inner cells therein, and supplying pressurized air to an upper part of the honeycomb structure to discharge the liquid within the inner cells. A holding apparatus for holding an article includes an outer cylinder in a form of a pipe having an inner wall with an inner diameter which allows an article to be held to pass therethough easily and which has a sufficient strength, a resilient tube having an inner diameter which prevents the article to be held from passing therethough under no tension and having ends each sealingly connected to the outer cylinder, thus defining together with the inner wall of the outer cylinder a sealed space therebetween, means for discharging a fluid from the sealed space; and means for supplying the fluid to the sealed space.