A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a scan execution unit configured to execute a regular scan in which a navigator sequence for generating a magnetic resonance signal in a navigator area containing a region of interest moving with a biological movement of a subject and an imaging sequence for generating a magnetic resonance signal in an imaging area of the subject are carried out and a signal processing unit configured to detect a position of a region of interest based ON a magnetic resonance signal generated by a navigator sequence in the regular scan and to generate an image based ON the detected position and the magnetic resonance signal generated by the imaging sequence. The signal processing unit is configured to generate an intensity profile with respect to the magnetic resonance signal generated by a navigator sequence in the pre-scan and received at each of the coil elements, determine the gradient polarity of the profile line corresponding to the high-signal substance in the predetermined direction in the generated intensity profile and to select a coil element that received a magnetic resonance signal of the intensity profile highest in maximum signal intensity among the intensity profiles the gradient polarity of which was determined to face upward. The position of the region of interest is detected based ON a magnetic resonance signal generated by a navigator sequence in the regular scan and received at the selected coil element.
