An image processing apparatus includes a histogram calculating section, a tone curve determining section and a tone curve applying section that perform different tone corrections on pixels at different positions in a color image and a false contour detecting section that calculates the degree of false contour occurrence for the color image based on the difference in signal saturation level between color signals. Based on the result of the calculation by the false contour detecting section, the tone curve determining section controls the tone correction characteristics to make a false contour less prominent.