1. An imaging environment recognition device having an imaging means for imaging an area surrounding a vehicle and an image recognition section for recognizing an object and texture existing within a field of view of the imaging means by processing an image captured by the imaging means, the imaging environment recognition device comprising: a storage means for storing shape information of an object of interest; a distortion/defocus degree calculation section for calculating degrees of distortion and defocus of the object of interest and the texture in an captured image, based on shapes of the object of interest and the texture on the captured image and the shape information of the object of interest stored in said storage means; and an imaging environment recognition section for recognizing imaging environment based on the degrees of distortion and defocus calculated.