In a face recognition apparatus adapted to recognize an input face image on the basis of one or more registered face images, similarity between an input face image and a registered face image is determined based on a Gabor jet calculated by performing Gabor filtering using Gabor filters defined by a Gaussian function representing a window and sine and cosine functions representing a frequency response for each of predetermined frequency values and for each of predetermined angles of the response function. Values of the filter window are calculated in advance based on the Gaussian function and stored in a filter window data ROM. Values of the response function are calculated in advance for respective angles based on the sine and cosine functions and stored in sine data ROMs and cosine data ROMs. In the Gabor filtering process, coefficients of the Gabor filters are determined from values read from these ROMs.