Abstract: A method for manufacturing sponge iron and an apparatus for charging in the method are disclosed. Iron oxide powder and reducing-agent powder are charged such that alternating layers of the iron oxide powder and the reducing-agent powder are formed and such that each of the layers is in the form of a helix, and then a reduction treatment is performed. The method has not only high reaction efficiency of a gas, high quality, and high productivity, but also the advantage for a production adjustment because the amount of charge can be adjusted without the limitation of a reduction time. The molar ratio of the carbon content in the reducing agent to the oxygen content in the iron oxide in the reaction container is preferably 1.1 or more.