A process for producing a carbon comprising heating a phenol resin at 600 to 1,000°C under an oxidizing gas atmosphere wherein the phenol resin is obtained by reacting a compound represented by the formula (1): wherein R 1 represents a C1-C12 alkyl group which may be substituted with at least one substituent, m represents an integer of 0 to 4, n represents an integer of 0 to 4, m+n is an integer of 0 to 4, and when n is 2 or more, R 1 s may be the same or different from each other, with an aldehyde compound.