In a photoacoustic image generation apparatus for obtaining a photoacoustic signal by emitting light toward a subject from a light source and detecting photoacoustic waves emitted from the subject having received the light and imaging the subject based on the photoacoustic signal, there are provided: means for removing a signal showing a component appearing discontinuously in the subject from photoacoustic signals relevant to a plurality of cross sections of the subject that have been generated by changing an angle between an emission direction of the light and a surface of the subject and means for constructing a three-dimensional image of the subject from photoacoustic signals showing the plurality of cross sections after the removal processing.