A floppy disk apparatus improves power efficiency and quietness by commencing rotation of a stepping motor in a smooth fashion. The floppy disk apparatus includes an interface control circuit that outputs, in accordance with an instruction from a host apparatus, a first step pulse signal, step pulse period signals that indicate the period of the first step pulse signal and that are output before the first step pulse signal and a direction signal, and a floppy disk control circuit that generates a second step pulse signal delayed by a predetermined time from the first step pulse signal in accordance with the step pulse period signal, that generates a first signal that toggles in synchronization with the first step pulse signal and a second signal that toggles in synchronization with the second step pulse signal, and that outputs the first and second signals as control signals in accordance with the direction signal.