A liquid crystal element that refracts light exiting therefrom, the liquid crystal element comprising: a plurality of unit electrodes (10, rn) each constituted by a first electrode and a second electrode, a first voltage being applied to the first electrode and a second voltage being applied to the second electrode, the second voltage being different from the first voltage; an insulating layer that is an electrical insulator; a resistive layer; a liquid crystal layer containing liquid crystal; a third electrode to which a third voltage is applied; a first boundary layer that is an electrical insulator; and a second boundary layer that faces the first boundary layer with the insulating layer therebetween, wherein the insulating layer is located among the first electrode, the second electrode, and the resistive layer, and insulates the first electrode, the second electrode, and the resistive layer from one another, the resistive layer has an electric resistivity higher than each of electric resistivities of the first electrode and the second electrode, and lower than an electric resistivity of the insulating layer, the resistive layer and the liquid crystal layer are located between the insulating layer and the third electrode, the resistive layer is located between the insulating layer and the liquid crystal layer, the second boundary layer is a resistor having an electric resistivity higher than the electric resistivity of the resistive layer or an electrical insulator, a second electrode of one unit electrode of mutually adjacent unit electrodes among the plurality of unit electrodes is adjacent to a first electrode of the other unit electrode of the mutually adjacent unit electrodes, the first boundary layer is located between the second electrode and the first electrode that are adjacent to each other, the resistive layer is patterned, and patterned portions of the resistive layer respectively correspond to the unit electrodes, the second boundary layer is located between adjacent patterned portions among the patterned portions of the resistive layer, and the first electrode and the second electrode are located at the same layer level, the first boundary layer contains the same electrical insulator as the insulating layer and is formed from the same material as the insulating layer, and in each of the plurality of unit electrodes, a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode of the unit electrode is larger than each of a width of the first electrode and a width of the second electrode. a plurality of unit electrodes (10, rn) each constituted by a first electrode and a second electrode, a first voltage being applied to the first electrode and a second voltage being applied to the second electrode, the second voltage being different from the first voltage; an insulating layer that is an electrical insulator; a resistive layer; a liquid crystal layer containing liquid crystal; a third electrode to which a third voltage is applied; a first boundary layer that is an electrical insulator; and a second boundary layer that faces the first boundary layer with the insulating layer therebetween, wherein the insulating layer is located among the first electrode, the second electrode, and the resistive layer, and insulates the first electrode, the second electrode, and the resistive layer from one another, the resistive layer has an electric resistivity higher than each of electric resistivities of the first electrode and the second electrode, and lower than an electric resistivity of the insulating layer, the resistive layer and the liquid crystal layer are located between the insulating layer and the third electrode, the resistive layer is located between the insulating layer and the liquid crystal layer, the second boundary layer is a resistor having an electric resistivity higher than the electric resistivity of the resistive layer or an electrical insulator, a second electrode of one unit electrode of mutually adjacent unit electrodes among the plurality of unit electrodes is adjacent to a first electrode of the other unit electrode of the mutually adjacent unit electrodes, the first boundary layer is located between the second electrode and the first electrode that are adjacent to each other, the resistive layer is patterned, and patterned portions of the resistive layer respectively correspond to the unit electrodes, the second boundary layer is located between adjacent patterned portions among the patterned portions of the resistive layer, and the first electrode and the second electrode are located at the same layer level, the first boundary layer contains the same electrical insulator as the insulating layer and is formed from the same material as the insulating layer, and in each of the plurality of unit electrodes, a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode of the unit electrode is larger than each of a width of the first electrode and a width of the second electrode.