An endoscope apparatus includes an endoscope main body and an assisting drive unit. The endoscope main body includes an endoscope insertion portion having a curving portion on the leading end side thereof, a curving operation portion operating or curving the curving portion, and a curving drive portion driving or curving the curving portion according to an operation force applied to the curving operation portion. The assisting drive unit generates a drive force assisting a curving drive operation to be carried out by the curving drive portion. Curving information regulated at each curving angle corresponding to curving amount of the curving portion is stored previously. The curving amount &thetasa of the curving portion is detected. The drive force is generated from the assisting drive unit using the curving information corresponding to the detected curving amount &thetasa.
