PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cheap illumination unit capable of easily securing space for laying of wiring, and a side view type endoscope including this illumination unit.SOLUTION: An illumination unit 80 includes: an illumination part 83 a three-dimensional shape substrate part 85 having an upper surface part 85a where the illumination part 83 is mounted, and electrically connected to the illumination part 83 disposed on the upper surface part 85a and an illumination cable 89 having a longitudinal axis facing a plane direction of the upper surface part 85a, disposed along the longitudinal axis direction, disposed at a lower part than the substrate part 85 in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the longitudinal axis direction, and supplying power to the illumination part 83. The substrate part 85 has a substrate slope part 87 which is inclined at a desired angle with respect to the longitudinal axis direction toward a bottom surface part 85d of the substrate part 85 from the front surface part 85c of the substrate part 85. A tip part 89a of the illumination cable 89 is electrically connected to the substrate slope part 87 by inclining at the desired angle for supplying power to the illumination part 83 via the substrate part 85.
