To provide a steel sheet in which a hot rolled steel sheet of medium-high carbon steel is softened so as to be ≤130 Hv.

In the method for producing a softened medium-high carbon steel sheet, a hot rolled steel sheet of hypoeutectoid steel having a composition comprising, by mass, 0.1 to 0.8% C, 0.15 to 0.40% Si and 0.3 to 1.0% Mn, and in which the content of P is limited to ≤0.03%, S to ≤0.01% and T.Al to ≤0.1% is subjected to light reduction cold rolling of 20 to 30%, and is then subjected to three step annealing in such a manner that, after the first heating of holding it in the temperature range of Ac1-50°C to less than Ac1 for ≥0.5 hr (other than soaking for ≥6 hr), the second heating of holding it in the temperature range of Ac1 to Ac1+100°C for 0.5 to 20 hr and the third heating of holding it in the temperature range of Ar1-50°C to Ar1 for 2 to 20 hr are continuously performed, and also, the cooling rate from the second holding temperature to the third holding temperature is controlled to 5 to 30°C/h.