He practiced alone until he met late D1 driver Atsushi Kuroi who started to teach and advise Kawabata.

In 2002, Kawabata win the Advan Drift Meeting event at Ebisu circuit where he acquired D1GP license.

In 2004, Kawabata was hired by Trust to replace Hideo Hiraoka and drove an S15 Silvia built by GP Sports.

[4] In 2014 TRUST return and collaborate with Toyo Tires and he started to participate in D1GP with Nissan GT-R in 2014 and also left GP Sports in same year.

Despite able to beat Saito in exhibition event he went winless for the second time in 3 years and he finished the season second in standings.

In 2019, following Trust withdrawal he competing in the D1GP with Toyota GR Supra and became the first person to win D1GP round with it the following year.

After coming third in inaugural season, he win the championship the following year an continued to compete until series is stopped after 2018.

With D1GP reviving it's overseas expansion, Kawabata start to compete in D1GP Thailand and Southeast Asia for Drive to Drift which is a team formed by his former teammate and Thai driver Daychapond Toyingcharoen.

Kawabata immediately come out from his car but fell to the ground just as he walk out and had to be taken to hospital for treatment for whiplash injuries, Saito miraculously evaded any physical damages.