Introducing Japanese Idol Shoko Nakagawa!

Shoko Nakagawa, is a Japanese Idol who has gained notoriety for her love of cosplay and anime. So much so, that when she appears at events and poses like her favorite anime superheroes, she is frequently mocked by the press - and we think it’s demeaning to her character and completely unfair! She frequently imitates Sailor Moon, and we feature whatever sightings we come across on Moon Chase! But we’ve never actually let our readers know exactly who she is, except for little hints here and there. So we present, a rather belated introduction to Ms. Shoko Nakagawa.

Shoko Nakagawa was born May 5th, 1985. She is the daughter of Kazuhiko Nakagawa, who was a star back in his day. Kazuhiko was a famous rock star and actor, and was known as the Japanese David Bowie. Not a whole lot is known about her mother, but we have read that Kazuhiko got hitched to her quietly when she found out she was pregnant with Shoko. When she was young, her father gave her lots of horror manga to read because he believed she would never become a true adult without reading her. He also influenced her with music, anime and video games of the 80's, and she is now considered a nerd because she loves all that old school media, and is very knowledgeable about Otaku culture! It was also because of this influence she got into watching Sentai, and wanted to be a gravure (cosplay) idol just like Mika Katsumura of Mirai Sentai Timeranger. She studied all of Mika’s idol movies and photobooks in preparation for her career. Sadly, Kazuhiko passed away when she was only 9 years old, and from then on was raised by her mother. On her ninth birthday, her father gave her a handmade birthday card from his hospital bed, but she threw it away after he died - there were rumors of a scandal. Her mother retrieved the card and gave it back to her. In 2002, she won the Grand Prix award at the Popolo Girl Audition, and thus began her debut in the entertainment industry. She was initially managed by the Jackie Chan talent agency, but is now managed by Watanabe Entertainment. She has since released Idol DVDs and Photobooks, and appeared as a Seiyuu in Eyeshield 21. She appears on many variety shows in Japan due to her idol status. She has also ventured into the music industry over the last year, and has released four singles and a mini-album.

Shoko is a multitalented idol. She cosplays frequently along with her friends, which include Chieco Kawabe - who played Naru Osaka in PGSM and played Sailor Mercury in many Sera Myu! Her cosplay is very popular and her fans are always looking forward to her cosplay shoots. She also likes to watch Kung-fu movies, and is a big fan of Bruce Lee. She also learned Cantonese a long time ago (but doesn’t speak it much anymore) and along with her mother would travel to Hong Kong frequently. She met Jackie Chan on one of these visits and drew a picture of him which now hangs in his office. She is also good at cartooning and illustrating and wants to be a Mangaka (comic artist/manga author), and in the clip we have provided, you’ll be able to see her Sand Dollar Man who reminds us a little bit of Ultraman! Shoko has also been crowned the Queen of Blogs in Japan as she blogs more frequently than any Japanese celebrity (Chieco can't keep up with her).

We hope we’ve helped you get to know Shoko a little better with this article, and now we are going to present a clip. Shoko appeared on Music Japan on June 23rd to sing her latest single , Sorairo Days (Sky Blue Days) and sat down with the host for a quick chat. Sorairo Days is currently the theme song of the current popular mecha anime Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. Enjoy!


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