Prior to arriving in MLB, Fukudome played nine seasons for the Chunichi Dragons of the Nippon Professional Baseball.

Fukudome entered the PL Gakuen High School, and was quickly targeted by professional scouts as a potential first round draft pick.

However, Fukudome had already decided that he would not turn pro unless he could play with the Chunichi Dragons or Yomiuri Giants, and joined Nihon Seimei, whose baseball team belonged to the industrial leagues.

He was chosen for the 2006 World Baseball Classic team, and pinch-hit with a two-run home run off Byung-hyun Kim in the semi-finals against Korea.

When asked whether he had any interest in the Major Leagues on a television show in the 2006 off-season, Fukudome answered, "It would be a lie to say I didn't.

He went 3-for-3 with a walk, including a double on his first Major League pitch, and a three-run game-tying home run off Brewers' closer Éric Gagné in the bottom of the ninth inning.

[2] In April 2008, a souvenir stand selling unlicensed Cubs apparel sold a t-shirt bearing the Cubs cartoon bear wearing oversized Harry Caray-style glasses encircled by the phrase "Horry Kow" (an Engrish play on Caray's "Holy Cow!"

Mark Kolbusz, the souvenir stand operator, said the shirt was his top seller so far that season, and that 1 in 10 customers complained that it was offensive.

"[3] After a story on the t-shirt appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, the Cubs ordered Kolbusz to pull the shirt off the stand and to stop production.

[6] Cubs manager Lou Piniella defended him from criticism, and said, "[Fukudome] does such a good job in right field we hate to take him out of the lineup", and further stated the team would continue to give him more opportunities.

On August 12, right fielder Shin-Soo Choo was activated from the 15-day disabled list, moving Fukudome to Center field.

But on August 27, Choo suffered another injury that would put him on the 15-day disabled list again on September 1, and that moved Fukudome back to right.

On June 22, Fukudome was designated for assignment after hitting .171, 0 home runs and 4 RBI in 24 games played and 41 at-bats.

The home run and RBI totals were Fukudome's highest since his second to last year with the Chunichi Dragons of the Central League in 2006.

At the end of the 2015 season, Fukudome was named to an NPB Best Nine lineup for a fourth time and was awarded his fifth career Golden Glove as an outfielder.

On 30 July 2016, Fukudome became the 4th player in NPB history to register multiple cycle hits as he helped lead the Tigers to an 8–3 victory over his former team, the Chunichi Dragons.