He graduated from Tokyo Imperial University in 1936 and joined Nakajima Aircraft Company in the same year.

Prince Motor Company operated out of the old Nakajima premises in Ogikubo, Tokyo and Nakagawa was appointed the senior engineering manager, leading its engineers.

[5][6] He supervised all the Prince vehicles projects including Skyline, Gloria, R380, S390P-1 Royal limousine and others.

[2][6] Nakagawa was the motivating force behind Prince's early use of Italian design houses, and went on to use the knowledge gained to promote and guide Japanese designers like his protégé Shinichiro Sakurai.

[6] Later he became the chairman of the Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan, Inc. (JSAE).