1. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising: magnet to generate a static magnetic field; gradient magnetic field generator to generate a gradient magnetic field in the static magnetic field; high-frequency magnetic field transmitter to apply a high-frequency magnetic field to an examination target placed in the static magnetic field; receiver to receive a nuclear magnetic resonance signal generated from the examination target; controller to control the gradient magnetic field generator, the high-frequency magnetic field transmitter and the receiver; and signal processor to process the nuclear magnetic resonance signal, wherein: the receiver comprises a first reception coil and a second reception coil having a sensitivity region including a sensitivity region of the first reception coil and is wider than the sensitivity region of the first reception coil; and the controller executes encode steps corresponding to k-space data while sequentially varying application amount of the gradient magnetic field, controls acquisition of data formed by a plurality of nuclear magnetic resonance signals, and alternately switches reception by the first reception coil and reception by the second reception coil for every one or more groups of nuclear magnetic resonance signals in at least a part of the encode step of a gradient echo sequence to measure one gradient echo after applying one high-frequency magnetic field.