To provide an image processing apparatus that can extract an area to which a user wants to apply a special effect by a simple operation.

An image processing apparatus includes: a receiving unit 104 that receives a target area to which a special effect is to be applied, the target area being specified by a user in image data displayed on a display unit; a similar area searching unit 105 that searches the image data for similar areas on the basis of a feature value indicating an image characteristic of the target area; a display processor 103 that displays, on the display unit, a predetermined number of similar areas from among the similar areas; a receiving unit 104 that receives selected similar areas; and a special effect processor 111 that performs a special effect process for applying the special effect to the selected similar areas and the target area.