Drafted in the 2nd round in 1990, Furuta became a leader for the Swallows as a catcher and became the first player-manager in Japanese baseball in 29 years, since Katsuya Nomura in 1977.

In addition to his skills on the field, he is also known for leading a successful two-day strike in 2004 as the head of the Japanese baseball players union.

Furuta graduated from Kawanishi Meihou High School and Ritsumeikan University before entering the Toyota company baseball team [ja] in 1988.

In the 1995 Japanese championship series, he outsmarted batting champion Ichiro Suzuki, leading his team to victory.

On June 28, 2003, Furuta hit home runs in 4 consecutive at bats, tying the Japanese record.

In 2004, he led the first player strike in Japanese baseball history, in opposition to the elimination of the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes team.

Though his hitting and defensive skills eroded over the years due to age and many injuries, Furuta was by far the best catcher in Japan during his prime, tirelessly analyzing opposing batters, and throwing out many base stealers during his career.

The two would face off as managers during the 2006 interleague tournament, and Furuta got the better of his mentor, winning five out of the six games between Yakult and the 2nd-year Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.

The dispute received huge press coverage (which mostly favored Furuta and the players union) and was dubbed one of the biggest events in the history of Japanese baseball.