An image processing apparatus for processing input-image data to output output-image data. The apparatus includes a plurality of image processing units operable to detect an edge-gradient direction having a largest gradient of a pixel value and an edge direction orthogonal to the edge-gradient direction for each pixel of the input-image data, to perform edge-enhancement processing on the input-image data in the edge-gradient direction, and to perform smoothing processing on the input-image data in the edge direction; and an integration unit operable to integrate the image data output from the plurality of image processing units to generate the output-image data. The plurality of image processing units have different characteristics set for use with detecting the edge-gradient direction and the edge direction.