A method is provided for manufacturing a dielectric elastomer transducer including a dielectric elastomer layer and electrode layers sandwiching the elastomer layer. The elastomer layer when stretched exhibits a stress-strain curve having: a low strain and high elasticity region; a low elasticity region; and a high strain region. The method includes: a pre-stretching process to reduce hysteresis in elastic behavior of the elastomer layer by stretching the elastomer layer one or more times under a load as heavy as a first load before the electrodes are provided, each stretching causing the elastomer layer to undergo a tension falling in the low elasticity region; and a dielectric elastomer layer fixing process including applying a second load smaller than the first load to the elastomer layer so as to fix the elastomer layer to a support member under a second tension smaller than the first tension.