An image processing apparatus includes a level-value-limit smoothed-image creating unit, a level-value combining unit, and a smoothed-image creating unit. The level-value-limit smoothed-image creating unit calculates, from the pixels in a received input image within a filter size of the low-pass filters each having different level value ranges, an average value of the pixels in the level value ranges, and creates level-value-limit smoothed images. The level-value combining unit creates a level-value combined image by selecting and combining one or more of the level-value-limit smoothed images. The smoothed-image creating unit determines, based on image information that is different from image information used by the level-value-limit smoothed-image creating unit, a combining ratio of the input image to the level-value combined image and creates a smoothed image by combining the input image and the level-value combined image using the determined combining ratio.