Image prediction apparatus and method, image encoding apparatus, and image decoding apparatus

An image predicting apparatus used in an image encoding apparatus or decoding apparatus and performing encoding or decoding of an image while performing image prediction processing for each macroblock, the image predicting apparatus comprises: a characteristic amount image extracting unit extracting characteristic amount image data from predicted image data obtained as a result of the image prediction processing; a characteristic amount image adjusting unit adjusting the characteristic amount image data according to the predicted image data; and a predicted image combining unit combining the adjusted characteristic amount image data obtained from the characteristic amount image adjusting unit and the predicted image data and outputting the composite predicted image.