An image processing apparatus for processing an image acquired by imaging a living body includes: a narrow-band image acquisition unit configured to acquire at least three narrow-band images with different center wavelengths from one another； a depth feature data calculation unit configured to calculate depth feature data which is feature data correlated to a depth of a blood vessel in the living body based on a difference, between the narrow-band images different from one another, in variation of signal intensity due to an absorption variation of light with which the living body is irradiated； and an enhanced image creation unit configured to create, based on the depth feature data, an image in which the blood vessel is highlighted according to the depth of the blood vessel.
