The prediction method determiner 105 evaluates each of the intra prediction and the inter prediction using the coding information, the code amount of the residual, the distortion amount between the predicted picture signal and the target picture signal, or the like, and thereby determines an optimal prediction mode. In the case of intra prediction, the prediction method determiner 105 supplies intra prediction information such as an intra prediction mode to the bit strings coding unit 108 as coding information. In the case of the merge mode of the inter prediction, the prediction method determiner 105 supplies inter prediction information such as a merge index and information (subblock merge flag) indicating whether the mode is the subblock merge mode to the bit strings coding unit 108 as coding information. In the case of the motion vector predictor mode of the inter prediction, the prediction method determiner 105 supplies inter prediction information such as the inter prediction mode, the motion vector predictor index, the reference index of L0 or L1, the motion vector difference, or information indicating whether the mode is a subblock motion vector predictor mode (subblock motion vector predictor flag) to the bit strings coding unit 108 as coding information. The prediction method determiner 105 further supplies the determined coding information to the coding information storage memory 111. The prediction method determiner 105 supplies the predicted picture signal to the residual generation unit 106 and the decoded picture signal superimposer 110.
The residual generation unit 106 constructs a residual by subtracting the predicted picture signal from the target picture signal, and supplies the constructed residual to the orthogonal transformer/quantizer 107.