A plurality of ceramic green sheets having printed strip inner electrodes patterns, each including a thick portion at a width-direction center and thin portions at respective width-direction sides of the thick portion, are laminated so that the thin portions overlap and the thick portions do not overlap to form an unfired mother laminated body. This unfired mother laminated body is cut along predetermined cut lines that are vertical to each other to obtain a plurality of unfired ceramic element assemblies. By applying ceramic paste to cover exposed portions of inner electrode patterns exposed to lateral surfaces, side gap areas are formed between a first inner electrode pattern and first and second lateral surfaces of the unfired ceramic element assembly and between a second inner electrode pattern and the first and second lateral surfaces.