Disclosed are a light emitting device and a light emitting element that can decrease fabrication difficulties, while improving lighting efficiency and controlling the distribution of intensity that occurs in the emitted light. A light emitting device comprises a rod-shaped light guide, an LED that inputs light to the light guide, and a prism that changes the direction of light input from the lengthwise end of the light guide, and emits redirected light from a light exit surface that is disposed opposite the prism. The light emitting device is constituted so that an input lens is formed at the lengthwise end of the light guide as a parallel light forming body to make light exiting from the LED toward the light guide nearly parallel light, and the LED is shifted from the center axis of the light guide toward the side closer to the prism, or toward the side away from the prism, and thus said nearly parallel light is directed to the exit surface of the light guide or to the prism.