He joined Tomohiro Maekawa’s theatre company, Ikiume, after graduating university in 2004. Since then, he has performed in all of Ikiume’s shows, and has played a central role in bringing Tomohiro Maekawa’s works to life. In addition to acting in shows like Sun, Before We Vanish (and also starring in the 2017 film adaptation of the same, directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa) Function Domino, and Holy Land X, Shinya has also had many outside roles, from unemployed to reclusive characters, to roles depicting extremely earnest, naïve characters—and even extremely frivolous ones. The breadth of Shinya’s acting ability speaks for itself, and his kind voice and father-like presence are just two of his many endearing features that keep fans coming back. In 2017, he starred in To Each His Own and I Am Crazy. In 2012, he was praised for his roles in Mission and The Library of Life, for which he won an Individual Award at the 47th Kinokuniya Theatre Awards.