Light emitting device and image forming apparatus

The invention provides a light emitting device and an image forming apparatus and aims to provide a light emitting device that eliminates or minimizes the degradation of the light emitting quality due to the foreign object included, and an image forming apparatus including the light emitting device. The light emitting device (1) includes a light source (2), wherein a plurality of LEDs (21), as light sources, are mounted on a base plate (22); a light guide plate (3) which receives light from the light source (2) with a side surface (31), and guides the light toward a light emitting surface (11) of the light emitting device (1); a diffusion sheet (4) which diffuses the light from the light guide plate (3); and a display lens (5) which guides the light diffused by the diffusion sheet (4) to a display area (12) of the light emitting surface (11). The upper surface (30) of the light guide plate (3) has protrusions (312 and 313) formed by making both side edges along the longitudinal direction protruded toward the