Kawabata (written: 川畑, 川端 or 河端) is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include:

• Bōsha Kawabata (川端 茅舎, 1897–1941), Japanese haiku poem
• Emi Kawabata (川端 絵美, born 1970), Japanese skier
• Hikaru Kawabata (川畑 輝鎮, born 1965), Japanese professional wrestler
• Hiromi Kawabata (川畑 宏美, born 1979), Japanese basketball player
• Hitomi Kawabata (川畑瞳), Japanese softball player
• Kaito Kawabata (川端 魁人, born 1998), Japanese track Olympian
• Kazuya Kawabata (河端 和哉, born 1981), Japanese footballer
• Kawabata Makoto (河端 一), Japanese musician
• Masato Kawabata (川畑 真人, born 1977), Japanese drifting driver
• Minoru Kawabata (1911–2001), Japanese artist
• Namiko Kawabata (川畑 名美子), Japanese mixed martial artist
• Ryūshi Kawabata (川端 龍子, 1885–1966), Japanese painter
• Shiki Kawabata (川端 志 季), Japanese manga writer
• Shingo Kawabata (川畑 伸吾, born 1978), Japanese sprinter
• Shingo Kawabata (baseball) (川端 慎吾, born 1987), Japanese baseball player
• Shinichiro Kawabata (川畑 伸一郎, born 1966), Japanese baseball player
• Takafumi Kawabata (川端 隆普美, born 1954), Japanese ski jumper
• Takayoshi Kawabata (川端 崇義, born 1985), Japanese baseball player
• Tatsuo Kawabata (川端 達夫, born 1945), Japanese politician
• Tomoe Kawabata (川畑 和愛, born 2002), Japanese figure skater
• Tomoyuki Kawabata (河端 朋之, born 1985), Japanese cyclist
• Yasunari Kawabata (川端 康成, 1899–1972), Japanese writer