A target recognition system to recognize one or more recognition targets (A, C, E), operatively connected to a stereo imaging device (110A, 110B) to capture a stereo image of an area ahead of the target recognition system, the target recognition system comprising: a parallax calculator configured to calculate parallax of the stereo image including two captured images acquired by the stereo imaging device (110A, 110B); a target candidate detector configured to detect a candidate set of recognition target areas (A, B, C, D, E, F), based on a luminance image of one of the captured images; and a target recognition processor configured to: calculate, based on the parallax calculated by the parallax calculator, a parallax average for each target recognition area of the candidate set of recognition target areas (A, B, C, D, E, F) detected by the target candidate detector; calculate distances from the stereo imaging device (110A, 110B) to the candidate set of recognition target areas (A, B, C, D, E, F) detected by the target candidate detector, using the calculated parallax average; calculate an actual size of the candidate set of recognition target areas (A, B, C, D, E, F), using the distance of the candidate set of recognition target areas from the stereo imaging device (110A, 110B); compare a size threshold range corresponding to the candidate set of recognition target areas with the calculated actual size of the candidate set of recognition target areas; execute the recognition processing using the luminance image and a recognition candidate dictionary, when the calculated actual size is within the size threshold range, and output the target recognition result; and eliminate a falsely detected candidate set of recognition target areas from the list of the candidate set of recognition target areas, when the calculated actual size is outside the size threshold range. a parallax calculator configured to calculate parallax of the stereo image including two captured images acquired by the stereo imaging device (110A, 110B); a target candidate detector configured to detect a candidate set of recognition target areas (A, B, C, D, E, F), based on a luminance image of one of the captured images; and a target recognition processor configured to: calculate, based on the parallax calculated by the parallax calculator, a parallax average for each target recognition area of the candidate set of recognition target areas (A, B, C, D, E, F) detected by the target candidate detector; calculate distances from the stereo imaging device (110A, 110B) to the candidate set of recognition target areas (A, B, C, D, E, F) detected by the target candidate detector, using the calculated parallax average; calculate an actual size of the candidate set of recognition target areas (A, B, C, D, E, F), using the distance of the candidate set of recognition target areas from the stereo imaging device (110A, 110B); compare a size threshold range corresponding to the candidate set of recognition target areas with the calculated actual size of the candidate set of recognition target areas; execute the recognition processing using the luminance image and a recognition candidate dictionary, when the calculated actual size is within the size threshold range, and output the target recognition result; and eliminate a falsely detected candidate set of recognition target areas from the list of the candidate set of recognition target areas, when the calculated actual size is outside the size threshold range. calculate, based on the parallax calculated by the parallax calculator, a parallax average for each target recognition area of the candidate set of recognition target areas (A, B, C, D, E, F) detected by the target candidate detector; calculate distances from the stereo imaging device (110A, 110B) to the candidate set of recognition target areas (A, B, C, D, E, F) detected by the target candidate detector, using the calculated parallax average; calculate an actual size of the candidate set of recognition target areas (A, B, C, D, E, F), using the distance of the candidate set of recognition target areas from the stereo imaging device (110A, 110B); compare a size threshold range corresponding to the candidate set of recognition target areas with the calculated actual size of the candidate set of recognition target areas; execute the recognition processing using the luminance image and a recognition candidate dictionary, when the calculated actual size is within the size threshold range, and output the target recognition result; and eliminate a falsely detected candidate set of recognition target areas from the list of the candidate set of recognition target areas, when the calculated actual size is outside the size threshold range.