A method of manufacturing onion-like carbon with hydrocarbon gas used as a starting material, characterized in that: said method comprises: a diamond-like carbon powder producing step for producing diamond-like carbon powder by plasma CVD using hydrocarbon gas; and a converting step for converting said diamond-like carbon powder produced in said diamond-like carbon powder producing step to onion-like carbon by heating said diamond-like carbon powder in a vacuum or in an inert gas atmosphere; said method further characterized in that: in said conversion step, said diamond-like carbon powder is heated at a temperature of from 700 °C to 2,000 °C; and said diamond-like carbon powder producing step comprises: a plasma generating step for generating plasma in a vacuum tank with an open-mouthed container disposed therein by supplying AC discharging power to said vacuum tank connected to a reference potential and to said container, using said vacuum tank and said container as a pair of electrodes; a gas introducing step for introducing said hydrocarbon gas into said vacuum tank; and a temperature controlling step for controlling a temperature within said container in such a manner that said temperature within said container does not rise above 300 °C. said method comprises: a diamond-like carbon powder producing step for producing diamond-like carbon powder by plasma CVD using hydrocarbon gas; and a converting step for converting said diamond-like carbon powder produced in said diamond-like carbon powder producing step to onion-like carbon by heating said diamond-like carbon powder in a vacuum or in an inert gas atmosphere; a diamond-like carbon powder producing step for producing diamond-like carbon powder by plasma CVD using hydrocarbon gas; and a converting step for converting said diamond-like carbon powder produced in said diamond-like carbon powder producing step to onion-like carbon by heating said diamond-like carbon powder in a vacuum or in an inert gas atmosphere; said method further characterized in that: in said conversion step, said diamond-like carbon powder is heated at a temperature of from 700 °C to 2,000 °C; and said diamond-like carbon powder producing step comprises: a plasma generating step for generating plasma in a vacuum tank with an open-mouthed container disposed therein by supplying AC discharging power to said vacuum tank connected to a reference potential and to said container, using said vacuum tank and said container as a pair of electrodes; a gas introducing step for introducing said hydrocarbon gas into said vacuum tank; and a temperature controlling step for controlling a temperature within said container in such a manner that said temperature within said container does not rise above 300 °C. in said conversion step, said diamond-like carbon powder is heated at a temperature of from 700 °C to 2,000 °C; and said diamond-like carbon powder producing step comprises: a plasma generating step for generating plasma in a vacuum tank with an open-mouthed container disposed therein by supplying AC discharging power to said vacuum tank connected to a reference potential and to said container, using said vacuum tank and said container as a pair of electrodes; a gas introducing step for introducing said hydrocarbon gas into said vacuum tank; and a temperature controlling step for controlling a temperature within said container in such a manner that said temperature within said container does not rise above 300 °C. a plasma generating step for generating plasma in a vacuum tank with an open-mouthed container disposed therein by supplying AC discharging power to said vacuum tank connected to a reference potential and to said container, using said vacuum tank and said container as a pair of electrodes; a gas introducing step for introducing said hydrocarbon gas into said vacuum tank; and a temperature controlling step for controlling a temperature within said container in such a manner that said temperature within said container does not rise above 300 °C.