An image processing apparatus includes: image acquiring means for acquiring an image; search-window-size setting means for setting a size of a search window; search-range setting means for setting a search range in the image in relation to the set size of the search window; scanning means for moving the search window having the set size in the set search range; face-area determination means for determining whether the image in the search window at each scanning position is a face area; and face-information output means for outputting information of the face area obtained from a determination result of the face-area determination means.