An endoscope including an insertion portion having a bendable bending portion, and an operation section connectively provided at a proximal end side of the insertion portion, and including, in the operation section, a bending operation apparatus which is adapted to be operated when the bending portion is caused to perform a bending operation, wherein the bending operation apparatus includes a bending operation mechanism section (10A, 10B) and a bending portion braking mechanism section, the bending operation mechanism section comprises a bending lever which is rotatably disposed at an operation section main body of the operation section, and is adapted to be rotated when the bending portion is caused to perform a bending operation, a first bearing member that pivotally and rotatably supports a bending operation shaft body which has the bending lever integrally fixed to one end, and is adapted to transmit a rotation force of the bending lever, and is fixed to a support panel integral with the operation section main body, and a cylindrical member that is fixedly provided integrally at the other end of the bending operation shaft body, is adapted to be rotated with a rotational operation of the bending lever, and is adapted to pull and loosen an operation wire which is disposed in an outer circumferential groove, and the bending portion braking mechanism section comprises a bending state keeping lever that is rotatably disposed at the operation section main body of the operation section, and is adapted to be operated when a bending state of the bending portion which is bent is kept, a braking shaft body that has the bending state keeping lever integrally fixed to one end, and that is adapted to transmit a rotation force of the bending state keeping lever, a second bearing member that pivotally and rotatably supports the braking shaft body, and is fixed to the support panel, a rotation pressing member that is rotatably disposed in the first bearing member, is adapted to rotate around an axis of the first bearing member with a rotational operation of the braking shaft body, and has a plurality of inclined projection portions at a peripheral portion of an outside side surface, a slide pressing member that is disposed slidably in an axial direction of the first bearing member, and has a plurality of inclined projection portions opposed to the inclined projection portions of the rotation pressing member, at a peripheral portion of an inside side surface, a friction member that is slidable in the axial direction of the first bearing member, is disposed between the slide pressing member and the cylindrical member, and is capable of abutting on the cylindrical member, a regulation member that is disposed at an outside side surface of the support panel, is slidable in the axial direction of the first bearing member, and is capable of regulating a gap in which the rotation pressing member, the slide pressing member and the friction member are disposed, and a plurality of positioning members (9d1, 9d2, 9d3) that are disposed at the support panel by screwing, separate the regulation member from the support panel by changing an abutment state on the regulation member, and regulate a braking force of the friction member to the cylindrical member, characterized in that the regulation member is of a multilayered structure having at least a first braking plate configuring a first layer and a second braking plate configuring a second layer.