This invention can provide a liquid crystal display unit which can employ any liquid crystal material without being limited by its dielectric constant and initialize liquid crystal layer at low voltages. A liquid crystal display unit comprising pixel electrodes which are disposed in a matrix, common electrode and one of electrodes of supplementary capacitor which is opposite to the pixel electrode, liquid crystal layer containing a memory-type liquid crystal material sandwiched between the pixel electrode and the common electrode, and switching elements which respectively turn on and off voltage to pixel electrodes, wherein the liquid crystal display unit changes the states of liquid crystals to perform image erasing, writing, and displaying operations in sequence while driving the common electrode and one of electrodes of the supplementary capacitor so that the electrodes may have an identical potential.