The light collimating plate includes a lens substrate, a plurality of microlenses disposed on a surface of the lens substrate, a plurality of light entrance areas, each having a circular or rectangular form a center of which is on an
optical axis of the
microlens, and a light shield layer formed on another surface of the lens substrate, and covering other area than the light entrance areas. When n and t are a
refractive index and a thickness of the lens substrate, respectively, and C (R;
diameter, A, B; sides of rectangle) is a size of light entrance area, a size of the
microlens Sr satisfies the following formula in the light collimating plate: Sr≧2t×tan θ+C (with the proviso that θ=sin−1 (1 / n)). Or, a form of the
microlens in the light collimating plate is a part of an
ellipsoid shown in the following formula X2 / a2+y2 / a2+z2 / c2=1 (x and y represent axis on the surface of the lens substrate, z represents the
optical axis), it's accentricity ε is shown in the following formula ε=(c2−a2)1 / 2 / c=1 / n and it's far focal point is on a position of the light entrance area. The lighting apparatus and the
liquid crystal display apparatus use the light collimating plate.