An endoscope comprising: an endoscope inserting unit that is arranged to be inserted into an inner portion of an object under inspection and that has a freely curvable curving portion in a vicinity of a tip portion of the endoscope inserting unit; a main body manipulating unit that is provided to be connected to a base end side of the endoscope inserting unit; an appendix unit is connected via a flexible softened portion to the main body manipulating unit; a curving manipulation unit that is provided as a part of the main body manipulating unit and that is manually operated for causing the curving portion to be curved along a direction; a curving drive unit that is arranged to be coupled the curving manipulation unit to the curving portion so as to curve the curving portion in response to a manipulation performed on the curving manipulation unit; a manipulating force detecting unit that is arranged to detect a manipulating force applied to the curving manipulation unit; a manipulation assisting power calculating unit that is arranged to calculate manipulation assisting power corresponding to the manipulating force detected by the manipulating force detecting unit; a driving force transferring mechanism and a rotation driving force generating unit that is arranged to apply a driving force via the driving force transferring mechanism to the curving drive unit so as to generate the manipulation assisting power calculated by the manipulation assisting power calculating unit and so as to apply the manipulation assisting power to the manipulation force applied to the curving manipulation unit, wherein the rotation driving force generating unit is arranged in the appendix unit. an endoscope inserting unit that is arranged to be inserted into an inner portion of an object under inspection and that has a freely curvable curving portion in a vicinity of a tip portion of the endoscope inserting unit; a main body manipulating unit that is provided to be connected to a base end side of the endoscope inserting unit; an appendix unit is connected via a flexible softened portion to the main body manipulating unit; a curving manipulation unit that is provided as a part of the main body manipulating unit and that is manually operated for causing the curving portion to be curved along a direction; a curving drive unit that is arranged to be coupled the curving manipulation unit to the curving portion so as to curve the curving portion in response to a manipulation performed on the curving manipulation unit; a manipulating force detecting unit that is arranged to detect a manipulating force applied to the curving manipulation unit; a manipulation assisting power calculating unit that is arranged to calculate manipulation assisting power corresponding to the manipulating force detected by the manipulating force detecting unit; a driving force transferring mechanism and a rotation driving force generating unit that is arranged to apply a driving force via the driving force transferring mechanism to the curving drive unit so as to generate the manipulation assisting power calculated by the manipulation assisting power calculating unit and so as to apply the manipulation assisting power to the manipulation force applied to the curving manipulation unit, wherein the rotation driving force generating unit is arranged in the appendix unit.