A bending control device comprising a bending instruction operation portion for executing bending instruction operation to a bending portion in an endoscope having an insertion portion provided with an image pickup portion for capturing an image and the bending portion capable of being bent at the distal end side; and a bending control portion for controlling bending of the bending portion according to the bending instruction operation by the bending instruction operation portion, wherein a first bending control mode for bending control corresponding to a first image (Ia) captured by the image pickup portion; and a second bending control mode for bending control corresponding to a second image (Ib) displaying the distal end side of the insertion portion are provided as the bending control mode for operation of the bending control by the bending control portion, the bending control device further comprising: a direction detecting device (7, 8) for detecting the axial direction of the distal end portion and the circumferential direction around the axial direction; and an image display device adapted to display the first image (Ia) and the second image (Ib) at the same time, and to display the second image (Ib) so as to substantially include the axial direction of the distal end side of the insertion portion in the display surface, and also display a traveling direction in a lumen portion into which the vicinity of the distal end portion of the insertion portion is inserted such that the traveling direction is substantially included in the display surface, wherein when the first bending control mode is switched to the second bending control mode, control is executed to display the second image (Ib) displayed on the image display device so that the axial direction of the distal end portion of the insertion portion and the traveling direction in the lumen portion in the second image (Ib) is in a predetermined direction in the image display device, and wherein when the bending instruction operation is executed by the bending instruction operation portion, a discrepancy amount is corrected, based on a detection result of the axial direction of the distal end portion and the circumferential direction detected by the direction detecting device (7, 8), between the predetermined direction in a displayed image of the distal end side of the insertion portion in the second image (Ib) and a predetermined direction at the distal end side of the actual insertion portion, and the bending portion is driven to be bent in a bending direction in which the bending instruction was executed. a direction detecting device (7, 8) for detecting the axial direction of the distal end portion and the circumferential direction around the axial direction; and an image display device adapted to display the first image (Ia) and the second image (Ib) at the same time, and to display the second image (Ib) so as to substantially include the axial direction of the distal end side of the insertion portion in the display surface, and also display a traveling direction in a lumen portion into which the vicinity of the distal end portion of the insertion portion is inserted such that the traveling direction is substantially included in the display surface, wherein when the first bending control mode is switched to the second bending control mode, control is executed to display the second image (Ib) displayed on the image display device so that the axial direction of the distal end portion of the insertion portion and the traveling direction in the lumen portion in the second image (Ib) is in a predetermined direction in the image display device, and wherein when the bending instruction operation is executed by the bending instruction operation portion, a discrepancy amount is corrected, based on a detection result of the axial direction of the distal end portion and the circumferential direction detected by the direction detecting device (7, 8), between the predetermined direction in a displayed image of the distal end side of the insertion portion in the second image (Ib) and a predetermined direction at the distal end side of the actual insertion portion, and the bending portion is driven to be bent in a bending direction in which the bending instruction was executed.