Nakano coaches alongside Mitsuko Graham, Masahiro Kawagoe, and Sei Kawahara for the Kobe Figure Skating Club.[3] Following the 1995 Kobe earthquake, Nakano cycled to check on the safety students.[4]
Nakano's team originally trained in rinks in Port Island, Kobe, Himeji, and Osaka as the original rink in Kobe was only open from autumn through spring, up until a full-year facility was built in Nishinomiya in 2013.[4] As of June 2025, the team trains out of the Sysmex Kobe Ice Campus, a new full-year facility in Kobe.[5]
Nakano is a vice chairman of the Japan Figure Skating Instructor Association.[6] She occasionally choreographs for her skaters.[7]
Nakano inspired her student Kaori Sakamoto to want to become a coach.[8] After Sakamoto won the silver medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Nakano told her: "You won silver, Kaori. That means it’s now your turn to try to raise a gold medallist."[9] She remarked that following their coach-student relationship ending with Sakamoto's retirement: "This time, I need to teach her how to teach technique, not technique. That's the only thing that will change."[10]
123"坂本花織、三原舞依と切磋琢磨 いつもそばに「最大のライバル」"[Kaori Sakamoto and Mai Mihara compete with each other, their "biggest rival" always by their side]. Kochi Shimbun (in Japanese). February 19, 2026.
↑S-PARK (February 25, 2022). "「私の宝物は中野先生、グレアム先生、川原先生」坂本花織が3人のコーチとつかんだ12年ぶり快挙"["My treasures are Professor Nakano, Professor Graham, and Professor Kawahara" - Kaori Sakamoto and her three coaches achieve this feat for the first time in 12 years]. Fuji News Network (in Japanese).
↑"【フィギュア】来季引退の坂本花織、コーチ転向予定「団体も個人も、銀以上を」26年五輪が集大成"[[Figure skating] Kaori Sakamoto, who will retire next season, plans to become a coach. "I want to win silver or better in both the team and individual events." The 2026 Olympics will be her culmination.]. Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). June 21, 2025.
↑"Officers"(PDF). Japan Figure Skating Instructor Association. June 8, 2025.
12Sawada, Aki (December 17, 2024). "岡山理科大学の三宅咲綺、やっと見つけた自分らしいスケート 全日本で納得いく演技を"[Okayama University of Science's Saki Miyake finally finds her own style of skating, delivering a satisfying performance at the All Japan Championships]. 4years (in Japanese).
