An image processing method, which applies an adjusting process to an image that includes a pixel to be processed, said method comprising: an extraction step (STEP701) of extracting an image area with a predetermined size including the pixel to be processed; a variation calculation step (STEP705) of calculating for the pixel to be processed a variation which represents a magnitude of variation of pixel signal values in the image area; a variation time count calculation step (STEP706) of calculating for the pixel to be processed a variation time count which represents a frequency of variations of pixel signal values occurring in the image area; a definition step (STEP707-STEP709) of defining an adjusting level based on the calculated variation and the calculated variation time count; and an adjusting step (STEP1401-STEP1405, STEP2206-STEP2208, STEP2706-STEP2710, STEP3011-STEP3015) of applying an adjusting process to a signal value of the pixel to be processed, adjusted by the adjusting level defined in said definition step; characterized by further comprising an edge direction determination step (STEP702-STEP704) of calculating, for each direction of a plurality of directions through the pixel to be processed in the image area, differences between signal values of pixels lined up along said direction, and defining, among said plurality of directions, a direction with the maximum calculated difference as an edge direction for the pixel to be processed; and in that said variation calculation step calculates the variation from signal values of pixels lined up along said edge direction in the image area, and said definition step defines the adjusting level based on a correspondence where the adjusting level continuously changes in accordance with changes in the variation time count. an extraction step (STEP701) of extracting an image area with a predetermined size including the pixel to be processed; a variation calculation step (STEP705) of calculating for the pixel to be processed a variation which represents a magnitude of variation of pixel signal values in the image area; a variation time count calculation step (STEP706) of calculating for the pixel to be processed a variation time count which represents a frequency of variations of pixel signal values occurring in the image area; a definition step (STEP707-STEP709) of defining an adjusting level based on the calculated variation and the calculated variation time count; and an adjusting step (STEP1401-STEP1405, STEP2206-STEP2208, STEP2706-STEP2710, STEP3011-STEP3015) of applying an adjusting process to a signal value of the pixel to be processed, adjusted by the adjusting level defined in said definition step; characterized by further comprising an edge direction determination step (STEP702-STEP704) of calculating, for each direction of a plurality of directions through the pixel to be processed in the image area, differences between signal values of pixels lined up along said direction, and defining, among said plurality of directions, a direction with the maximum calculated difference as an edge direction for the pixel to be processed; and in that said variation calculation step calculates the variation from signal values of pixels lined up along said edge direction in the image area, and said definition step defines the adjusting level based on a correspondence where the adjusting level continuously changes in accordance with changes in the variation time count.