PURPOSE: To reduce the cost of a picture processing device by simplifying the picture processing circuit which obtains a maximum value, a minimum value, a center value, and an average value in the vicinity of a limited part of picture elements in an object picture.

CONSTITUTION: A first limited part vicinity processing means and a second limited part vicinity processing means are provided, and the former means consists of delay elements 1 which delay input picture data by one line, latch elements 2 which latch it, and maximum value calculating means 4 for calculation of maximum values of three sets of picture element data and generates picture element data in the vicinity of a limited part of 3×3 picture elements and outputs a maximum value of generated data, and the latter consists of delay elements 1, latch elements 2, and maximum value calculating means 3 for calculation of maximum values of two sets of picture data and generates picture data in the vicinity of a limited part of 2×2 picture elements by the input of picture element data outputted from the first limited part vicinity processing means and outputs the maximum value of generated data as the maximum value in the vicinity of a limited part of 6×6 picture elements.