An agitation device, a melting apparatus, and a melting method for improving melting efficiency of molten metal without contaminating the same. The agitation device is provided with a traveling magnetic field generating unit which is disposed outside a charging tank for storing molten metal and generates, inside the charging tank, a magnetic field that travels downward along the rear sidewall of the charging tank. A flow of the molten metal that rotates longitudinally about an axis approximately parallel to the surface of the molten metal is produced in the molten metal. By charging aluminum cutting chips into the molten metal in which the flow is produced, the aluminum cutting chips move with a downward flow of the molten metal, and are immersed in the molten metal. As a result, melting of the aluminum cutting chips can be accelerated.