Disclosed is an optical waveguide element that includes first and second optical waveguides (11, 12) which are formed to have different waveguide modes of guided lights, whose polarized waves are different. First optical waveguide (11) includes directional coupling region (13) and, second optical waveguide (12) includes incident side waveguide (12a), which has directional coupling region (13) and which is provided in parallel with first optical waveguide (11), and second optical waveguide (12) includes exit side waveguide (12b), which is extended from incident side waveguide (12a) and which is bent in the direction that recedes from first optical waveguide (11).