As a child, he was a member of Gekidan Himawari, a children's acting troupe. He is employed by the talent management firm Aoni Production. He was close friends with late Hirotaka Suzuoki.
He is most known for the roles of Amuro Ray (Mobile Suit Gundam), Hyouma Hoshi (Kyojin no Hoshi), Pegasus Seiya (Saint Seiya), Yamcha (Dragon Ball), Kyosuke Kasuga (Kimagure Orange Road), and Mamoru Chiba/Tuxedo Mask (Sailor Moon). He used the pseudonym Noboru Sougetsu in Mobile Suit Gundam 00 for his role as Ribbons Almark.
Furuya married fellow voice actress Mami Koyama in 1976. They divorced in 1983. In 1985, he married fellow voice actress Satomi Majima, with whom had a daughter in 1992.
