The odor exploration method explores an odor based on odor information generated using a plurality of sensor elements each outputting a detection signal according to the state of adsorption by indicating an adsorption reaction unique to each odor substance, and an arithmetic unit generating the odor information by quantifying each detection signal from the sensor elements. The method includes a detection step detecting a first gas containing odor substances, a generation step generating a first odor information group generated based on a detection result of the first gas, a preparation step preparing a second odor information group generated based on a detection of a second gas, and a calculation step calculating a sum of or a difference between the second odor information group and the first odor information group based on a sum of or difference between the odor information generated for the first gas and for the second gas using the same sensor element.