An optical reception device (10) includes an electrical signal converter (110) that converts an optical signal serving as an input polarization multiplexed signal into electrical signals of respective polarization components, a signal processor (120) that executes digital signal processing for digital signals generated by executing A/D conversion processing, and a phase difference output unit (130) that detects a phase difference generated between the polarization components of the optical signal based on the signals having undergone digital signal processing, and outputs information representing the phase difference. The signal processor (120) compensates for the distortion of the optical signal based on the information representing the phase difference. Even if rapidly varying PMD exists, the optical reception device prevents degradation of the reception precision by executing signal processing in optimal identification phases for the respective polarization components of a received polarization multiplexed signal.