For young musicians from Japan and the Netherlands, she founded the East West Baroque Academy.

Imai's discography includes more than 30 releases on labels such as BIS, Chandos, DG, EMI, Hyperion, and Philips.

On 24 October 1974, Nobuko Imai appeared with a Japanese combined orchestra which included the Toho Gakuen School of Music Orchestra and members of the Japan Philharmonic with conductor Seiji Ozawa and cellist Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi in a world-wide telecast (carried on the PBS television network in the U.S.) from the United Nations building in New York City.

[4] In May 2023, BBC Music Magazine listed Imai amongst the twelve greatest violists of all time.

The twelve listed, were: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Carl Stamitz, Lionel Tertis, Rebecca Clarke, Paul Hindemith, William Primrose, Nobuko Imai, Kim Kashkashian, Yuri Bashmet, Tabea Zimmermann, Lawrence Power and Timothy Ridout.