PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope and an endoscope system, capable of reducing the diameter of the distal end of an insertion section and capable of displaying each observation image as a high-resolution image on a monitor while permitting simultaneous observation in two directions by one endoscope.SOLUTION: The endoscope includes: a control section 11 a flexible tube 16 extending forward from the control section a bending section located in the front of the flexible tube to bend according to the operation of bending operation means 15A and 15B provided in the control section a connection section 17 made of a hard material to connect the front end of the flexible tube to the rear end of the bending section the insertion section 12 having a distal-end hard part 33 made of a hard material and extending forward from the front end of the bending section first observation optical systems 34 and 35 exposed to the front surface of the distal-end hard part a first imaging element 37, provided inside the distal-end hard part, for capturing an observation image transmitting the first observation optical systems second observation optical systems 23 and 24 exposed to the front surface of the connection section and a second imaging element 26, provided inside the connection section, for capturing an observation image transmitting the second observation optical systems.
