A light diffusing element of the present invention includes: a matrix containing a resin component and an ultrafine particle component; and light diffusing fine particles dispersed in the matrix, wherein refractive indices of the resin component, the ultrafine particle component, and the light diffusing fine particles satisfy the below-indicated expression (1); and the light diffusing element comprises a concentration adjusted area, which is formed in an outer portion of a vicinity of a surface of each of the light diffusing fine particles, and in which a weight concentration of the resin component decreases and a weight concentration of the ultrafine particle component increases with increasing distance from the light diffusing fine particles: |np−nA|