  Late-time BVRIJHK photometry of the peculiar Type Ic SN 2002ap, taken between
2002 June 12 and 2003 August 29 with the MAGNUM telescope, is presented. The
light curve decline rate is derived in each band and the color evolution is
studied through comparison with nebular spectra and with SN 1998bw. Using the
photometry, the OIR bolometric light curve is built, extending from before
light maximum to day 580 after explosion. The light curve has a late-time shape
strikingly similar to that of the hypernova SN 1998bw. The decline rate changes
from 0.018 mag/day between day 130 and 230 to 0.014 mag/day between day 270 and
580. To reproduce the late-time light curve, a dense core must be added to the
1-D hypernova model that best fits the early-time observations, bringing the
ejecta mass from 2.5 Msun to 3 Msun without much change in the kinetic energy,
which is 4 times 10^51 ergs. This is similar to the case of other hypernovae
and suggests asymmetry. A large H-band bump developed in the spectral energy
distribution after about day 300, probably caused by strong [Si I] 1.646 micron
and 1.608 micron emissions. The near-infrared flux contribution increased
simultaneously from <30% to >50% at day 580. The near-infrared light curves
were compared with those of other Type Ib/c supernovae, among which SN 1983I
seems similar to SN 2002ap both in the near-infrared and in the optical.
