A touch panel operation device recognizes multiple kinds of operation events with respect to a touch panel with sufficient assurance and effectively restricts execution of processing not intended by a user. A gesture microcomputer detects a user's gesture with respect to a touch panel and notifies an HMI application of an operation signal corresponding to the detection. The HMI application determines an operation event from the operation signal notified by the gesture microcomputer. The notification is received in such a way that a present state of the touch panel is judged and the determination is made based on variation of the state and the like by monitoring the state.