An image processing method for image noise removal comprising: calculating a pixel statistical value and an edge amount for each of plural areas of a multi-layer structure, each of the areas containing a target pixel and having a successively decreased size, the target pixels of each of the areas having the same center coordinates in terms of the image coordinates system, the pixel statistical value being a spatial average of the pixel brightness values within the area, the edge amount being a sum of a vertical edge amount and an horizontal edge amount, wherein the vertical edge amount is a difference value of the statistic amount of the pixel brightness values in the vertical direction within the area, and wherein the horizontal edge amount is a difference value of the statistic amounts of the pixel brightness values in the horizontal direction within the area; a difference information correction step of, using the edge amount of a first area, correcting the pixel statistical value of the first area of the multi-layer structure and the pixel statistical value of a second area of the multilayer structure, wherein the size of the second area is wider than the size of the first area; a recorrection step of recorrecting the difference information corrected by the difference information correction step, using the pixel statistical value of a third area of the multi-layer structure, wherein the size of the third area is wider than the size of the second area; a pixel statistical value correction step of correcting the pixel statistical value of the first area using the difference information recorrected by the recorrection step and the pixel statistical value of the second area ; and correcting the target pixel by repeating the difference information correction step and the recorrection step of the first, second and third area sequentially in each layer until the area is reduced from a maximum size to a minimum size. calculating a pixel statistical value and an edge amount for each of plural areas of a multi-layer structure, each of the areas containing a target pixel and having a successively decreased size, the target pixels of each of the areas having the same center coordinates in terms of the image coordinates system, the pixel statistical value being a spatial average of the pixel brightness values within the area, the edge amount being a sum of a vertical edge amount and an horizontal edge amount, wherein the vertical edge amount is a difference value of the statistic amount of the pixel brightness values in the vertical direction within the area, and wherein the horizontal edge amount is a difference value of the statistic amounts of the pixel brightness values in the horizontal direction within the area; a difference information correction step of, using the edge amount of a first area, correcting the pixel statistical value of the first area of the multi-layer structure and the pixel statistical value of a second area of the multilayer structure, wherein the size of the second area is wider than the size of the first area; a recorrection step of recorrecting the difference information corrected by the difference information correction step, using the pixel statistical value of a third area of the multi-layer structure, wherein the size of the third area is wider than the size of the second area; a pixel statistical value correction step of correcting the pixel statistical value of the first area using the difference information recorrected by the recorrection step and the pixel statistical value of the second area ; and correcting the target pixel by repeating the difference information correction step and the recorrection step of the first, second and third area sequentially in each layer until the area is reduced from a maximum size to a minimum size. <EOS>