Kawabata (written: 川畑, 川端 or 河端) is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include:
, Japanese haiku poem , Japanese skier , Japanese professional wrestler , Japanese basketball player , Japanese softball player , Japanese track Olympian , Japanese footballer , Japanese musician , Japanese drifting driver Minoru Kawabata (1911–2001), Japanese artist , Japanese mixed martial artist , Japanese painter , Japanese manga writer , Japanese sprinter , Japanese baseball player , Japanese baseball player , Japanese racing driver , Japanese ski jumper , Japanese baseball player , Japanese politician , Japanese figure skater , Japanese cyclist , Japanese writer