A lighting device including a light guide plate, a light source unit disposed on the side of the light guide plate and a polarization separation element disposed between the light guide plate and the light source unit. The polarization separation element is used for transmitting linearly polarized light in a first polarized direction and reflecting linearly polarized light in a polarized direction normal to the first polarized direction. The light source unit includes a pillar-shaped light guide which light exits at a first side surface, a spot light emission source disposed on the end surface of the pillar-shaped light guide, and a reflecting layer disposed on a second side surface of a prism surface opposed to the first side surface for reflecting light from the spot light emission source.