Kawashima began boxing from an early age under the guidance of his father. His older brother, Shinobu Kawashima, also became a professional boxer, and would later challenge the IBF flyweight title.
Kawashima won the national high school boxing tournament in his senior year, defeating future world champion Katsuya Onizuka in the semi-finals. He moved to Tokyo after graduating from high school, and made his professional debut in August, 1988.
Kawashima did not make an ideal start to his career, recording two knockout losses in his first six professional fights. These losses convinced him to improve his defensive skills to cover up for his weak chin, and he became one of the most elusive Japanese boxers ever. He broke his left hand in January 1991 which put him into inactivity for over a year, but he won the Japanese super flyweight title in July 1992 which he defended three times before vacating.

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