To provide a visual inspection apparatus, for a tablet, by which the contour of the tablet can be grasped definitely and which can enhance the inspection accuracy of the tablet and to provide a PTP packaging machine equipped with the visual inspection apparatus.

The visual inspection apparatus is constituted of a CCD camera 11, a monitor, lighting units 12, an image processor and the like. The CCD camera 11 is constituted of a line CCD camera in which pixel units are arranged in a row, and it is arranged nearly on the normal on the face, to be inspected, of the tablet 1 in such a way that a linear imaging range is at right angles to the flow direction of the tablet 1. The lighting units 12 are arranged in such a way that the tablet 1 can be illuminated without illuminating a sealing film 42 within the imaging range of the CCD camera 11. That is to say, light shielding plates 9 which shield the lower end of each beam of line light 13 and which regulate a part of illumination light are installed so as to be movable at the lighting units 12. When the plates are moved properly, each beam of line light 13 can be adjusted so as not to irradiate the sealing film 42 within the imaging range.