A computer implemented method for generating a finite element model of a pneumatic tire manufactured through a step of building a raw tire provided in a tread portion with a band ply composed of a band cord having a cord angle of not more than 5 degrees with respect to the tire circumferential direction, and a step of vulcanizing the raw tire in a vulcanization mold, and for calculating residual stress caused by the vulcanizing, the method comprising a step in which, based on a cross-sectional shape of the tire in the vulcanization mold, a tire model which is a two-dimensional finite element model of the tire is generated, wherein the tire model includes a band ply model of the band ply made up of elements (Fi), a residual stress defining step in which a residual stress si caused by the vulcanizing step is computed by the following manner, or and defined on each of the elements (Fi) of the band ply model of the tire model, and a deformation calculation is made on the tire model to obtain the deformed tire model, for each of the elements (Fi) of the band ply model, the residual stress Si is computed by the following expression Si = E × Ra − ra / ra × α wherein E: the Young's modulus of the band cord, Ra: the outside diameter of the element (Fi), ra: the outside diameter of the element (Fi) before vulcanization, α: a coefficient, all elements (Fi) of the band ply model are grouped into one group and for all of the elements (Fi) of the band ply model, the residual stress Si is computed collectively by the following expression Si = E × Ra − ra / ra × α wherein E: the Young's modulus of the band cord, Ra: the mean value of the outside diameters of the elements (Fi) belonging to the group, ra: the mean value of the outside diameters of the elements (Fi) belonging to the group before vulcanization, α: a coefficient, the elements (Fi) of the band ply model are grouped into a plurality of groups (33A, 33B, 33C) each consisting of axially abutting elements, and, for each of the groups (33A, 33B, 33C), the residual stress Si is computed collectively by the following expression Si = E × Ra − ra / ra × α wherein E: the Young's modulus of the band cord, Ra: the mean value of the outside diameters of the elements (Fi) belonging to the respective group (33A, 33B, 33C), ra: the mean value of the outside diameters of the elements (Fi) belonging to the respective group (33A, 33B, 33C) before vulcanization, α: a coefficient, and a step in which a three-dimensional tire model is generated by circumferentially duplicating the two-dimensional tire model around the tire rotational axis at intervals of a small angle (θ). for each of the elements (Fi) of the band ply model, the residual stress Si is computed by the following expression Si = E × Ra − ra / ra × α wherein E: the Young's modulus of the band cord, Ra: the outside diameter of the element (Fi), ra: the outside diameter of the element (Fi) before vulcanization, α: a coefficient, E: the Young's modulus of the band cord, Ra: the outside diameter of the element (Fi), ra: the outside diameter of the element (Fi) before vulcanization, α: a coefficient, all elements (Fi) of the band ply model are grouped into one group and for all of the elements (Fi) of the band ply model, the residual stress Si is computed collectively by the following expression Si = E × Ra − ra / ra × α wherein E: the Young's modulus of the band cord, Ra: the mean value of the outside diameters of the elements (Fi) belonging to the group, ra: the mean value of the outside diameters of the elements (Fi) belonging to the group before vulcanization, α: a coefficient, E: the Young's modulus of the band cord, Ra: the mean value of the outside diameters of the elements (Fi) belonging to the group, ra: the mean value of the outside diameters of the elements (Fi) belonging to the group before vulcanization, α: a coefficient, the elements (Fi) of the band ply model are grouped into a plurality of groups (33A, 33B, 33C) each consisting of axially abutting elements, and, for each of the groups (33A, 33B, 33C), the residual stress Si is computed collectively by the following expression Si = E × Ra − ra / ra × α wherein E: the Young's modulus of the band cord, Ra: the mean value of the outside diameters of the elements (Fi) belonging to the respective group (33A, 33B, 33C), ra: the mean value of the outside diameters of the elements (Fi) belonging to the respective group (33A, 33B, 33C) before vulcanization, α: a coefficient, and a step in which a three-dimensional tire model is generated by circumferentially duplicating the two-dimensional tire model around the tire rotational axis at intervals of a small angle (θ). E: the Young's modulus of the band cord, Ra: the mean value of the outside diameters of the elements (Fi) belonging to the respective group (33A, 33B, 33C), ra: the mean value of the outside diameters of the elements (Fi) belonging to the respective group (33A, 33B, 33C) before vulcanization, α: a coefficient, and