PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope and a hardness adjustment apparatus using the endoscope which can improve operability in hardness adjustment of a close-contact spring and can easily adjust fatigue of the close-contact spring.SOLUTION: An endoscope comprises: an insertion part having a soft part hardness adjustment means consisting of a coil 32 for changing the hardness of the soft part and a wire 34 and a hardness adjustment operation mechanism 39 for operating the hardness adjustment means. The hardness adjustment operation mechanism 39 comprises: a movable ring 44 for changing a compressed state of the coil 32 by moving in a direction along a longitudinal axis X and a distance adjustment mechanism which comprises a first ring member, in which a first cam groove is formed, and a second ring member, in which a second cam groove is formed, and adjusts a distance along the longitudinal axis X between a first engaging position where a first cam pin 60 engages with the first cam groove and a second engaging position where a second cam pin 62 engages with the second cam groove by changing a relative position of the first ring member and the second ring member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4
