An image pickup unit includes: a moving lens holding barrel that holds a moving lens constituting a part of an objective optical system and is disposed so as to freely advance and retract along a shooting optical axis O a drive unit that generates a driving force for advancing and retracting the moving lens holding barrel along the shooting optical axis O in a fixed barrel a flexible substrate disposed so as to urge the moving lens holding barrel in one direction orthogonal to the shooting optical axis O and bent so as to press a part of an outer surface of the moving lens holding barrel in the one direction to an inner surface of the fixed barrel and a magnetism detecting portion detecting a relative position of the moving lens holding barrel from the fixed barrel according to magnetism of a position detecting magnet.
