Carbon is one of the best candidate materials for the negative electrode of rechargeable lithium batteries; however, the electrochemical characteristics are not fully understood in terms of the structure of the materials. The relationship linking the volume ration of the graphitic structure (P-1) of mesocarbon microbeads (MCMBs) and the electrochemical characteristics has been examined, and it was found that the capacity in the range between 0 to 0.25 V (vs. Li/Li+) in 1 mol dm(-3) LiClO4/ethylene carbonate (EC) + 1,2-diethoxyethane (DEE) electrolyte increased with an increase of the P-1 of the MCMBs. This result shows that the lithium storage mechanism in this potential range is the lithium-intercalation reaction into the graphitic layers with the AB or ABC stacking. On the other hand, MCMB heat-treatment temperature (HTT) 1000 degrees C showed much larger capacity in the range between 0.25 to 1.3 V than higher HTT MCMBs, and it is suggested the interaction among each graphite layer is weaker in nongraphitized carbon than that in well-graphitized ones.