Shibasaki debuted in 2000, when she portrayed the cold, deadly and promiscuous Mitsuko Souma in the cult classic Battle Royale. Her acting career took off with this film and also raised her profile across East Asia. Shibasaki also won critical acclaim for her role as Tsubaki Sakurai in the 2001 film Go, which earned her several awards, including the Best Supporting Actress Award of Japanese Academy, the Hōchi Movie Award, the Kinema Junpō Award. Shibasaki has worked in numerous television shows, movies and commercials.