The image processing apparatus according to the present invention uses the white illumination light observation method when the illumination light of the white illumination light observation method is used to generate a motion detection image for detecting a motion between captured images at different times. The weight of the pixel value of the pixel having the filter that transmits the light of the luminance component is set to be equal to or more than the weight of the pixel value of the pixel having another type of filter, and the luminance component in the narrow band observation method is used when the narrow band observation method is used. The pixel value of the pixel having a filter that transmits light is set to be equal to or greater than the weight of the pixel value of a pixel having another type of filter, and the pixel values of the pixels included in a plurality of pixels having different color filters are added and averaged A motion detection image generation processing unit (411) that generates the motion detection image based on a signal value for generating a motion detection image obtained by the averaging process, and a motion detection image Based on, with a motion detection processing unit (412) for detecting a motion between two motion detection image generated based on the captured image at different times.本発明にかかる画像処理装置は、異なる時間における撮像画像間の動きを検出するための動き検出画像を生成するために、白色照明光観察方式の照明光を用いる際には白色照明光観察方式における輝度成分の光を透過するフィルタを有する画素の画素値の重みを他の種類のフィルタを有する画素の画素値の重み以上とし、狭帯域観察方式を用いる際には狭帯域観察方式における輝度成分の光を透過するフィルタを有する画素の画素値の重みを他の種類のフィルタを有する画素の画素値の重み以上として、異なる色フィルタを有する複数の画素の組に含まれる画素の画素値を加算平均処理し、該加算平均処理により得られた動き検出画像生成用の信号値をもとに前記動き検出画像を生成する動き検出画像生成処理部（４１１）と、動き検出画像に基づいて、異なる時間における撮像画像をもとに生成された二つの動き検出画像間の動きを検出する動き検出処理部（４１２）と、を備えた。
