A laser element includes a photonic crystal layer on which laser light is incident. The photonic crystal layer includes a base layer formed of a first refractive index medium; and a plurality of different refractive index regions formed of a second refractive index medium having a refractive index different from that of the first refractive index medium and disposed in the base layer. The plurality of different refractive index regions includes a first different refractive index region of which a planar shape is an approximate circle, an approximate square, or an approximate polygon having a rotational symmetry of 90° and a first area perpendicular to a thickness direction; and a second different refractive index region having a second area perpendicular to a thickness direction.