Cell observation apparatus

There is provided a cell observation apparatus comprising a sterile chamber 3 containing a culture vessel 1 and a transparent observation window 11 provided in a bottom portion of the sterile chamber 3 and having the culture vessel 1 placed thereabove, wherein the camera 4 and the lighting 5 are provided below the observation window 11. The cells in the culture vessel 1 are imaged through the observation window 11 by setting the focus of the camera 4 to a bottom surface 1d of the culture vessel 1. The lighting 5 emits inspection light L as spot light where the light is not diffused, and an imaging range of the camera 4 is positioned inside an irradiation range of the inspection light L on the bottom surface 1d of the culture vessel 1. An imaging direction of the camera 4 and an irradiation direction of the lighting 5 are set so as not to be at the same angle relative to an axis orthogonal to the bottom surface 1d of the culture vessel 1. The camera and the lighting can be provided outside the sterile chamber