Akabira coal (Japanese bituminous coal) was liquefied in the presence of molten salts like SnCl2/KCl under a hydrogen or deuterium atmosphere (at 400 degrees C for 1 h). Resulting products were separated into gaseous products, hexane soluble (HS), hexane insoluble but benzene soluble (HI/BS), benzene insoluble but pyridine soluble (BI/PS) and residue. Two extracts, HS and HI/BS, were separated by column chromatography. Three fractions of the HS extract account for up to 90% of the HS and four fractions of the HI/BS extract up to 80% of HI/BS, The distribution of deuterium atoms in three fractions of HS were examined by measuring their FD/MS and H-2 NMR properties, and comparing these results with corresponding data of three fractions of HS obtained in a H-2 atmosphere. These results strongly suggest the preferential incorporation of deuterium atom at alpha-carbon adjacent to aromatic compounds. Kinetic features of the liquefaction are discussed according to the detailed analysis of three fractions of HS.