The present invention provides a light emitting element driving apparatus having a driving unit for driving a light emitting element by means of a driving signal while performing automatic light power control, which enables a light output to rise at a high speed in the head portion of a burst signal to be first inputted and light outputs of a second burst signal after the first burst signal and signals thereafter to be stably supplied irrespective of holding time. To this end, the light emitting element driving apparatus comprises a reference voltage generation unit for generating a reference voltage from an input electric signal containing data information, the reference voltage being used for obtaining a light output having specified power from the light emitting element in a normal condition, a monitoring voltage generation unit for generating a monitoring voltage signal corresponding to power of an optical signal outputted from the light emitting element, a light power control unit for controlling, based on a result of comparison from the reference voltage and the monitoring voltage signal, the driving unit by a discrete control amount such that a light output from the light emitting element can have the specified power and an initial value setting unit for setting a raising component as an initial value in a control signal having the discrete control amount.