An image recognition apparatus includes a storage unit which stores a plurality of pieces of identical recognition reference data which are used as references for recognizing a specific object from an image, an image recognition unit which recognizes the specific object by alternately making a switch between the plurality of pieces of recognition reference data, on a frame basis, stored in the storage unit, for consecutive frames of the image acquired by an image acquisition unit, and a recognition determining unit which, on condition that recognition results obtained by the image recognition unit by using the plurality of pieces of recognition reference data meet a predetermined matching condition, outputs the recognition results as effective recognition results.