Though he was a pitcher throughout his early years, Kawasaki switched to shortstop after enrolling in Kagoshima Prefectural Technical High School.

After Torigoe returned to the lineup, Kawasaki moved over to third base,[3] wreaking havoc on the basepaths along with leadoff hitter Arihito Muramatsu and Iguchi (who sat in the 3-hole).

He hit his first career home run on July 28 off Buffaloes right-hander Ken Kadokura, and while he finished the season just short of .300, he played his first full season at the ichigun level and hit .294 with two homers, 51 RBI and 30 steals,[4] playing a key role in the Hawks' league title and eventual Japan Series championship.

He led the league in both hits (174, tied with teammate and cleanup hitter Nobuhiko Matsunaka) and steals (42) and was chosen to both the Best Nine[6] and Golden Glove awards.

[7]) Kawasaki had a somewhat disappointing season in 2005, seeing his batting average drop off from .303 in 2004 to .271 and his on-base percentage from .359 to just .326, knocking in just 36 runs and stealing only 21 bases.

Coming off a championship in the inaugural World Baseball Classic, Kawasaki bounced back in 2006, hitting a career-high .312 and winning the Pacific League Best Nine and Golden Glove awards at shortstop (each for the second time).

He also received the most fan votes at shortstop for the MLB Japan All-Star Series held in November, but withdrew from the tournament after injuring the ring finger on his right hand during Fall Training.

Kawasaki suffered various injuries in the 2007 season,[8] twice spending time in the minors to rehab and playing just 95 games (though he hit .329[9] and slugged .428, both career highs).

[16] On April 21, 2013, Kawasaki batted in the leadoff slot for the first time in Toronto, scoring the game's first run against the New York Yankees.

[18][19] On June 21, Kawasaki hit his first MLB home run, a two-run shot off Baltimore reliever Tommy Hunter, which tied the game 6–6.

[21] Kawasaki was optioned back to Triple-A Buffalo on June 26 when Jose Reyes was activated from the disabled list.

[22] Toronto recalled Kawasaki from Triple-A Buffalo on June 28 after left-fielder Melky Cabrera was placed on the 15-day disabled list with left knee tendonitis.

[26] Kawasaki was ejected for the first time in his major league career on September 21, against the Boston Red Sox after being called out at first base by umpire Eric Cooper and then subsequently throwing his helmet to the ground.

On December 24, 2013, it was announced that Kawasaki had signed a minor-league contract with the Blue Jays that included an invitation to spring training.

The Blue Jays re-signed Kawasaki to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training on January 16, 2015.

[45] On January 21, 2016, Kawasaki signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs that included an invitation to spring training.

[54] Kawasaki was ineligible for post-season play in 2016, but traveled with the Cubs throughout the playoffs and joined the team on the field for the post-game celebrations.

He received a World Series ring despite not playing during the 2016 playoffs On January 7, 2017, Kawasaki signed a new minor league contract with the Cubs.

[61] On July 9, 2019, Kawasaki became a guest coach for the Wei Chuan Dragons of the Chinese Professional Baseball League.

Hitting out of the leadoff spot for the first time in the tournament finals against Cuba, Kawasaki scored on a base hit by Ichiro Suzuki in the top of the ninth inning, managing to brush home plate with his right hand while contorting his body and deftly avoiding the catcher's tag to score the seventh run for Japan.

[68][69] While he played in just five games and saw only seven at-bats[70] (mostly as a pinch hitter) due to manager Tatsunori Hara's decision to use Saitama Seibu Lions second baseman Yasuyuki Kataoka over Kawasaki against left-handed starting pitchers, Kawasaki was instrumental in Japan's win over the United States in the tournament semi-finals, starting at third base as Japan's No.

[71][72] Listed at 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) and 175 lb (79 kg), Kawasaki is best described as a slap hitter, utilizing his exceptional bat control and speed to get on base (often bunting safely to do so).

Modern sabermetric theory suggests that a player needs to be successful 70 to 75 percent of the time in stealing bases to have any kind of positive effect on the team's run production.

[73][74] A two-time Golden Glove award winner, Kawasaki has excellent range and instincts at shortstop and has improved on his throwing tremendously since coming into the league.