Shibata also established both his personal best and Japanese techsuit-era record of 1:51.30 at the 2007 FINA World Cup in Singapore, until it was finally smashed by Hidemasa Sano at the Japan Swimming Open in 2010.

In 2006, Shibata won a bronze medal in the 200 m butterfly at the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar (1:56.44), and a silver at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada (1:55.82), finishing behind American swimmer and world-record holder Michael Phelps.

[4][5] Shibata competed for the Japanese squad in the men's 200 m butterfly at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Leading up to the Games, he cleared a FINA A-standard entry time of 1:55.57 at the Olympic Trials in Tokyo.

[6][7] Despite entering the semifinals with an eleventh-seeded time of 1:55.82 from the evening prelims, Shibata tried to command his lead over all-time Olympian Michael Phelps at the final turn of the race, but faded down the stretch to hit the wall in seventh position and twelfth overall.