Shoko Nakagawa (中川 翔子, Nakagawa Shōko, born May 5, 1985) is a Japanese media personality, singer, actress, voice actress, illustrator, YouTuber, and cosplayer.[1] Also known by her nickname Shokotan (しょこたん), she is best known as the presenter of Pokémon Sunday, and as the performer of the opening theme from the anime Gurren Lagann.
Biography
Born and raised in Tokyo metropolitan area to her father, Katsuhiko Nakagawa, actor and musician, and her mother Keiko Nakagawa, a great-granddaughter of Kazutaka Ito, who is known for introducing and promoting the salmon and trout hatchery business. Her father died of leukemia on September 17, 1994 when she was 9.[2][3] Nakagawa found escape from bullies by connecting with Pokémon when she was in 5th grade. "When I was a kid, I didn't have friends, but I did have Pokémon."[4]
In the 2006 book Shokotan Manual (しょこ☆まにゅ, Shoko Manyu), she wrote that her legal name was Shiyōko (しようこ) rather than Shōko (しょうこ), which she had been using for most of her life. At the time of her birth, she and her mother had to remain in the hospital, and her maternal aunt was left with registering her in the koseki. Her mother's intended name of "Shōko" (薔子) was declined due to 薔 not being included in the list of jōyō kanji or jinmeiyō kanji that are approved for use in Japanese names. The aunt wrote Shōko (しょうこ) in hiragana instead, but because she wrote very quickly, the small yo appeared larger than intended and the name was recorded as Shiyōko (しようこ).[5]
She made her entertainment debut in 2001, winning the Grand Prix award at the Popolo Girl Audition[6] and representing Jackie Chan talent agency. Later, on the "Yume-Ga-Oka Residence" programme on SKY PerfecTV!, she was given Jackie Chan's photobook by Midorikawa Shobō, who were guests on the show. She commented "I thought he was an enemy of Bruce Lee's", apparently referring to Enter the Dragon.
Her official blog, Shokotan * Blog, opened in 2004, and by April 2006 it had received a total of 100 million hits. On February 2, 2008, the daily Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun reported that her blog had been accessed 1 billion times.[6]
She appeared in a brief section of "Kangaeru Hito" ("People who think") on the Fuji TV network in 2004 as an illustrator, after which she appeared regularly on the later version of the programme which started with minor changes in early 2005, "Kangaeru Hitokoma" ("Thinking about one frame [of a cartoon strip]"). On the Fuji TV show Kangaeru Hitokoma, on which she is an occasional guest, she drew in the style of Kazuo Umezu.
For one year starting in May 2005, Nakagawa appeared as a regular on the TBS programme "Ōsama no Brunch".[6] In July 2006, she released her debut single "Brilliant Dream". It entered the Oricon chart at number 29, with initial sales of 6313 copies. Nakagawa performed at Anime Expo 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.[6] Some of her work was shown on May 11, edition of Downtown Deluxe on Nippon TV network, Nakagawa was a member of the judging panel in the "Jump Damashii" section of the Shūeisha publication Weekly Shōnen Jump, starting from Jump number 13 of 2006.
On May 30, 2006, airing of Kasupe!, in the section entitled Fuji Ginkō Geinōjin Satei-Gakari (フジ銀行 芸能人査定係), "Fuji Bank Celebrity Evaluator", it was discovered that she liked the manga Kachō Shima Kōsaku, eliciting a comment from the host, Sayaka Aoki, that she had pretty "grown-up tastes".
In 2009, she opened a store called "mmts" with the theme of her hobby in Nakano Broadway.
In March 2014, Nakagawa's book of autobiographical essays, Neko no Ashiato ("Cats' Pawprints"), was published by Magazine House.
In March 2015, the book was adapted as an anime series titled Omakase Mamitasu ("Leave It to Mamitasu") on NHK,[9] which featured characters based on Nakagawa's cat and her late father and grandfather.[10]
In 2018, Nakagawa returned to Anime Expo to perform as part of Anisong World Matsuri.[11]
In 2019, Nakagawa performed the song "Kaze to Issho ni" (風といっしょに) with Sachiko Kobayashi, which was used as the theme song to the theatrical film Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution; it is a cover of a song originally performed by Kobayashi, which was used as the theme song to the 1998 film Pokémon: The First Movie.[12]
In 2020 following the temporary loss of work due to COVID-19 pandemic was a turning point, and she started distributing videos on YouTube, separate from the channel that distributes music videos set up by the office.[13] Since then, her blog has hardly been updated.
In 2021, she posted her swimsuit video on YouTube, and she became very popular with over 10 million views in two months.
On April 28, 2023, Nakagawa announced her marriage to a non-celebrity.[14]
In October 2023, Nakagawa released the single "65535", the title song of which was used as the opening theme to the anime series 16bit Sensation: Another Layer.[15] The following day, she announced that she legally changed her name to be the same as her stage name.[16]
A special edition of the single features "Moe yo, Gizamimi Pichu!" (もえよ ギザみみピチュー!, Moeyo Gizamimi Pichū!, "Get Fired Up, Spiky-Eared Pichu!"), an ending song for Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl
"Sakasama Sekai/Once Upon a Time (Kibō no Uta)" (さかさま世界/Once Upon a Time -キボウノウタ-, "Upsidedown World/Once Upon a Time (Song of Hope)")
December 11, 2013
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"Sakasama Sekai" as theme song for game Puzzle & Dragons Z and "Once Upon a Time (Kibō no Uta)" as the opening for the Japanese broadcast of Once Upon a Time
Collaboration with Sachiko Kobayashi. Theme song for game Mugen Knights
"Magical Circle"
November 17, 2017
–
–
Collaboration with Technoboys Pulcraft Green-Fund. Second Ending Song for the third series of Magical Circle Guru Guru.
"Mister Darlin'" (ミスター・ダーリン)
November 7, 2018
–
–
Featuring artist CHiCO with HoneyWorks
"Kaze to Issho ni" (風といっしょに)
July 10, 2019
–
–
Collaboration with Sachiko Kobayashi. A theme song for the anime movie Pokémon the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back EVOLUTION
Cover albums
Title
Release date
First week sales
Total sales
Shokotan Cover: Anison ni Koi o Shite. (しょこたん☆かばー ～アニソンに恋をして。～, Shokotan Kabā ~Anison ni Koi o Shite.~, "In Love with Anime Songs.")
May 2, 2007
12,579
31,501
Shokotan Cover Cover: Anison ni Ai o Komete!! (しょこたん☆かばー×2 ～アニソンに愛を込めて!!～, Shokotan Kabā Kabā ~Anison ni Ai o Komete~, "Full of Love for Anime Songs!!")
September 19, 2007
17,836
23,964
Shokotan Cover 3: Anison wa Jinrui o Tsunagu (しょこたん☆かばー 3 ～アニソンは人類をつなぐ～, Shokotan Kabā 3 ~Anison wa Jinrui o Tsunagu~, "Anime Songs Connect Mankind")
Shokotan Cover 4-2: Shoko Rock Hen (しょこたん☆かばー4-2 ～しょこ☆ロック篇～, Shokotan Kabā 4-2 ~Shoko Rokku Hen~, "Shoko Rock Part")
October 12, 2011
"Tokyo Shoko Land 2014: RPG-teki Michi no Kioku" Shokotan Cover Bangaihen Produced by Kohei Tanaka (「TOKYO SHOKO☆LAND 2014 ～RPG的 未知の記憶～」しょこたん☆かばー番外編 Produced by Kohei Tanaka, "Tokyo Shoko Land 2014: RPG with Unknown Memories" Shokotan Cover Extra Version Produced by Kohei Tanaka)
September 24, 2014
Mini albums
Title
Release date
First week sales
Total sales
nsum: Shoko Nakagawa has Been Tried in Singing! (nsum～中川翔子がうたってみた！～, nsum ~Nakagawa Shoko ga Utatte Mita!~)
August 15, 2012
7,775
UCHI-SHIGOTO, SOTO-SHIGOTO!!
January 9, 2013
Best albums
Title
Release date
First week sales
Total sales
Shokotan Best ((しょこたん☆べすと——(°∀°) ——!!), Shokotan☆Besuto)
^Shoko Manyu しょこ☆まにゅ [Shokotan Manual] (in Japanese). Japan: Gakken. December 1, 2006. ISBN978-4054031999.
^ abcdeGalbraith, Patrick W. (2009). The Otaku Encyclopedia: An Insider's Guide to the Subculture of Cool Japan. Kodansha International. p. 206. ISBN978-4-7700-3101-3.
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