He made appearances in a number of films, stage productions, and television dramas in his early acting career in Japan.

While preparing to return to the United States, he had an accident that affected his lower back, forcing him to stay in order to fully recover, which took six years.

As his backache was eased by treatment and therapy, he grew determined to become an actor, at which point he entered acting school.

In August 1997, Shibuya served as an assistant director in Annie Get Your Gun, a Broadway musical, in Nagoya Chunichi Theater.

Directed by Li Shu, it was the most rebroadcast film of the year, aired by the predominant movie channel in China, CCTV-6.

Shibuya's role, Colonel Sato, a cold-blooded and crafty villain, not only gained him reputation among professionals but also secured notoriety with the general public.

Directed by You Xiaogang and starring Yin Tao and Anthony Wong, the show was set in China in the Tang dynasty.

In 2010, Shibuya had a lead role in Shenhe, Minetsugu Yoshida, an ornithologist who went to Zhalong Lake in search of two lost cranes from Japan.

Shibuya became one of the most popular Japanese actors in China and, as his works were broadcast globally, his worldwide presence was established.

In 2011, Shibuya had a chance to act with Christian Bale in The Flowers of War (directed by Zhang Yimou), playing a military officer.

TV drama Daxifa (Chinese Traditional Magic),[16] released in 2012, gave Shibuya a chance to play a complex and unique character.

His character is a simple-minded person who suffers from hypoglycemia, whose marriage with his long-time lover was ended for his fear that his illness was hereditary.

Shibuya continued to expand his range in China through TV dramas Fenghuoshuangxiong (2013),[17][18] Youchai (2015),[19][20] and Tiezaishao (2015).

So, when Xiao Feng directed Air Strike four years later, he entrusted Shibuya with the only Japanese main role.

Its consultants included Vilmos Zsigmond, Richard Anderson, and Ronald Bass, Oscar winners in cinematography, sound effects, and screenplay, respectively.

[21][22] Telling the story of the Japanese bombings on Chongqing during WWII, the film features stars from four countries: Liu Ye (China), Bruce Willis[23] and Adrien Brody (USA),[24] Song Seung-heon (Korea),[25] and Shibuya.

Five TV series in which Shibuya starred: Tiezaishao, Ershisidaoguai, Jieqiang, Xuanya, and Xuebao, were broadcast on over ten channels in China.