A bending operation apparatus for an endoscope includes a pivoting shaft, a bending operation knob, two movable disks, a fixed disk, a cam member, and an annular member that has a penetrating portion which penetrates slits of the two movable disks, the annular member being movable integrally with the movable disks between a third position and a fourth position with the movable disks being fixed, wherein a step portion is formed at a base portion of the penetrating portion, the step portion being not in contact with a base portion of the cam member at the fourth position where the two movable disks are located at a second position and coming in contact with the base portion at the third position to thereby change location of the two movable disks from the second position to a first position.
