An one-dimensional (1D) coupled cavity optical waveguides (CCOWs) with Kerr defect was proposed. It was a Kerr medium doped into a high refractive index medium layer in CCOWs. The optical bistability (OB) of the structure was investigated by using one-dimensional transfer matrix method and nonlinear transfer matrix method. The linear properties of this structure, including the characterics of the field distribution and the shift of low-frequency band edge modes, were analyzed by one-dimensional transfer matrix method. The principle of the OB realized by the structure was discussed. It is found that different incident directions have different bistability threshold, because the refractive index of the defect layer is changed by three order nonlinear effect of Kerr medium stimulated by the localization of optical field in the defect layer. The field distribution in defect layer was related to the incident light direction. The properties of the OB were studied by the nonlinear transfer matrix method. The results indicate that the threshold of the forward direction (from left to right) is a half lower than that of the backward one (from right to left), because the localization behaviour of the forward direction is larger than that of the backward direction due to the position of the defect layer.