A polarization demultiplexing optical communication receiver is provided with a signal quality change imparting means which imparts a signal quality change to multiplexed two optical signals; and a signal quality monitoring means which compares signal qualities of the two optical signals with each other after the multiplexed two optical signals imparted with the signal quality change are subjected to polarization separation so as to specify the two optical signals based on a result of the comparison. This makes it possible to reduce transmission characteristics degradation of a polarization-multiplexed optical signal, and to implement transmission having high reliability.