A vehicle surrounding area monitoring device comprises a processor including a top perspective view image producing section taking images of a surrounding area of a vehicle and synthesizing the images into a top perspective view image and displaying the top perspective view image on a display. The processor further includes a vehicle running direction information receiving section receiving information on a direction in which the vehicle is running from a control device to control the vehicle to run frontward or rearward. The top perspective view image producing section produces a frontward top perspective view image of the vehicle and the surrounding area seen from a viewing point upward and rearward of the vehicle when the vehicle is running frontward and a rearward top perspective view image of the vehicle and the surrounding area seen from another viewing point upward and frontward of the vehicle when the vehicle is running rearward.