She began to study piano at the age of 3 at Toho Gakuen School of Music under Aiko Iguchi.

In 1959, whilst a student at Chutobu Junior High School,[2] she won first prize at the National Music Competition of Japan at age 15.

[1] Nakamura was a juror at many major piano competitions, including the Chopin in Poland, the Tchaikovsky in Russia, the Paloma O'Shea Santander International Piano Competition (1987),[3] the Arthur Rubinstein in Israel, the Busoni in Italy and so on.

[1] Another of her books was Pianisuto to Iu Banzoku ga Iru (ピアニストという蛮族がいる; approximately translated 'The Savages Called Pianists').

Nakamura lived in Mita, Tokyo with her husband Kaoru Shōji, one of the winners of Akutagawa Prize.