The 1996 Japanese Touring Car Championship season was the 12th edition of the series. It began at Fuji Speedway on 7 April and finished after seven events, also at Fuji Speedway on 3 November. The championship was won by Naoki Hattori, driving for Mooncraft.
Points were awarded 15, 12, 9, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 to the top 10 finishers in each race, with no bonus points for pole positions or fastest laps. Drivers counted their ten best scores.