Lens drive unit is provided with a moving lenticular body (sleeve 15, etc.) equipped with a lens, a driving mechanism to move the moving lenticular body in the optical axis direction of the lens and a fixed body (yoke 16, etc.) that supports the moving lenticular body so as to make it movable in the optical axis direction of the lens. The driving mechanism is provided with magnet 17 magnetized in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction of the lens, and multiple coils (first coil 14 and second coil 14') arranged so that the magnet is present in the optical axis direction of the lens. Either one of the magnet and the multiple coils is installed in the moving lenticular body, and the other in the fixed body. The driving mechanism is provided with a controlling element (flat spring 13, 13') to control the movement of the moving lenticular body caused by the electromagnetic force when a current is supplied to the multiple coils to generate the electromagnetic force, and magnetic member 30 is attracted to magnet 17 and is arranged on the opposite side of magnetic member 30 so as to sandwich one of the multiple coils between magnetic member 30 and magnet 17.