A method for the hydrogenation of coal tar pitch which comprises subjecting said coal tar pitch containing toluene insolubles to slight hydrogenation in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst having carried on a refractory inorganic oxide carrier at least one member selected from the class consisting of elemental metals, belonging to Groups VI B and VIII in the Periodic Table and oxides and sulfides thereof, under the conditions of 280.degree. to 400.degree. C. of reaction temperature, 20 to 200 kg/cm.sup.2. G of hydrogen pressure, 0.1 to 10 hr.sup.-1 of LHSV, and 500 to 2,000 Nl/liter of hydrogen to liquid ratio, and a catalyst therefor. The "slight" hydrogenation is hydrogenation to a degree such that the difference of hydrogen to carbon atomic ratio between the untreated coal tar pitch and the hydrogenated coal tar pitch falls in the range of 0.03 to 0.5. The coal tar pitch can be coal tar pitch itself, coal tar pitch pretreated for the removal of organic sodium compounds, or pretreated for the removal of quinoline insolubles and, preferably, the coal tar pitch has a density in the range of 1.13 to 1.17 g/cm.sup.2 at 40 degrees C.