In July 2006, she released her debut single, "Brilliant Dream". It entered the Oricon chart at number 29, with initial sales of 6,313 copies. Shokotan performed at Anime Expo 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center from July 3 till July 6. She is also known for loving cosplay, and buys up many clothes at auction, particularly costumes for Neon Genesis Evangelion, the Final Fantasy series and Sailor Moon. She is known for liking manga and anime, and also enjoys watching professional boxing.
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. As one might expect from her personality, there are very many otaku-style entries, and she updates it extremely regularly, as she admitted in an interview, because she uses it as a kind of notepad. In the month of April 2005, there were 600 updates, and on January 28, 2006 there were 70 updates, a record number for a single day. It is likely that she holds the record for the greatest number of blog updates by an idol. She has become known as the "New Queen of the Blog", after the original "Queen of the Blog", Kaori Manabe. Due to her blog's popularity, in September 2005, Koma Books released a compilation of her blog entries, also entitled Shokotan * Blog. She is so fond of cats that she once took home an abandoned cat she found while filming.
Her father Nakagawa Katsuhiko died of leukemia in 1994 when Shokotan was only nine years old, from then on she was raised by her mother alone. She won the Grand Prix award at the Popolo Girl Audition in 2001, thus making her debut in the entertainment world. At the time of her debut, she belonged to the Jackie Chan talent agency, on the "Yume-Ga-Oka Residence" programme on SKY PerfecTV!, she was given a Jackie Chan photo book by Midorikawa Shobo, who were guests on the show. She commented "I thought he was an enemy of Bruce Lee's", apparently referring to Enter the Dragon, but this is a curious statement, given that she belonged to the Jackie Chan talent agency and has also met Jackie Chan.
She was chosen as Miss Shonen Magazine in 2002. She appeared in a brief section of "Kangaeru Hito" (People who Think) on the Fuji TV Network, she showed her ability as an illustrator, which won her a regular place 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]). From May 2005, for just under a year, she appeared as a regular on the TBS Programme "Osama no Branch", which made her well known among the general public.
空色デイズ
中川翔子 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
歌：中川翔子
君は聴こえる？
僕のこの声が
闇に虚しく
吸い込まれた
意味を持つのなら
こんな気持ちも
無駄ではない？
憧れに押しつぶされて
あきらめてたんだ
果てしない空の色も
知らないで
走り出した想いが今でも
この胸を確かに叩いてるから
今日の僕がその先に続く
僕らなりの明日（あす）を築いていく
答えはそう いつもここにある
過ぎた季節を
嘆く暇はない
二度と迷って
しまわぬように
数えきれない
ほんのささやかな
そんな後梅
抱えたまま
その背中だけ追いかけて
ここまで来たんだ
探していた
僕だけにできること
あの日くれた言葉が今でも
この胸に確かに届いてるから
昨日よりも今日僕は
僕の生まれてきた理由（わけ）に気付いていく
答えはそう いつもここにある
全てがまるで当たり前みたいだった
尊（とうと）い日々はまだ終わらない
そしてまた
走り出した想いが今でも
この胸を確かに叩いてるから
今日の僕がその先に続く
僕らなりの明日（あす）を築いていく
答えはそう いつもここにある
The song "空色デイズ" by Shoko Nakagawa is about the experiences of chasing one's dreams amidst the difficulties and challenges that arise along the way. The opening lines of the song, "Can you hear me?/My voice has been swallowed up by the darkness," suggests a sort of feeling of loneliness or detachment from the rest of the world. The singer questions if their feelings and aspirations are worth having if the world they live in lacks meaning. In the second verse, they talk about how they used to give up easily in the face of their desires and dreams; they were not even aware of the beauty and vastness of the endless sky, representing the potential that exists within oneself. However, they find the courage to move forward, recognizing that their passion and drive remain a part of them and that they alone hold the key to their success.
The chorus portrays the message that the answers we seek lie within. The singer acknowledges that dwelling on past mistakes and regrets serves no purpose in moving forward but instead depletes the energy needed to succeed. They deem it important to focus on the present, take responsibility for their actions, and continue striving. The final verse touches on the importance of memory and how the words of encouragement given to them continue to motivate them to pursue their desires with resilience.
Line by Line Meaning
君は聴こえる？
Can you hear me?
僕のこの声が
My voice
闇に虚しく
Emptily lost in the darkness
吸い込まれた
Was sucked in
もしも世界が
If the world has
意味を持つのなら
Any meaning at all,
こんな気持ちも
These feelings
無駄ではない？
Would they still be useless?
憧れに押しつぶされて
Crushed by my desires
あきらめてたんだ
I had given up
果てしない空の色も
Not knowing the endless colors of the sky
知らないで
While I knew nothing
走り出した想いが今でも
My feelings back then
この胸を確かに叩いてるから
Still beating strongly in my chest
今日の僕がその先に続く
Which is why I continue to move forward
僕らなりの明日（あす）を築いていく
And build the future that is unique to us
答えはそう いつもここにある
The answer is always here
過ぎた季節を
There's no time
嘆く暇はない
To lament the past
二度と迷って
I must not wander
しまわぬように
Twice
数えきれない
An uncountable
ほんのささやかな
A tiny little
そんな後梅
I carry a weight like that on my back
抱えたまま
I have yet to put it down
その背中だけ追いかけて
Just because I chased after it
ここまで来たんだ
I've come this far
探していた
And now I understand
僕だけにできること
What only I can do
あの日くれた言葉が今でも
The words you gave me back then
この胸に確かに届いてるから
Still echo strongly in my heart
昨日よりも今日僕は
So today, more than yesterday
僕の生まれてきた理由（わけ）に気付いていく
I will begin to understand the reason for my existence
全てがまるで当たり前みたいだった
Everything seemed so ordinary
尊（とうと）い日々はまだ終わらない
Even if our precious days aren't over yet
そしてまた
And so once more
走り出した想いが今でも
My feelings back then
この胸を確かに叩いてるから
Still beating strongly in my chest
今日の僕がその先に続く
Which is why I continue to move forward
僕らなりの明日（あす）を築いていく
And build the future that is unique to us
答えはそう いつもここにある
The answer is always here
Contributed by Alex B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@shokotan_wo
聞いてくださったみなさまありがとうございます！世界中からコメントがきていてびっくりです。。。この歌が全人類に届きますように
@minape252
大好きです！！！歌ってくださりありがとうございます！！
@futakuti
まじ好き
@Thiraaaaa
大丈夫です！僕が世界に広めときます
@user-ob7sh1jj6v
ビジュアル変わらずお綺麗でビックリです！最高でした！
@user-ui5ez1fw6w
大好きです！
最高でした！
@rairai356824
当時の歌声はフレッシュな力強さだったけど、今は深みのある力強さだなぁと、結論どっちも最高
@nokazawa1979
今の推し活やら、アニメ好きが一般化してきたのは、しょこたんが切り拓いてくれた…と思います。元気いただきました！素敵な歌声、ありがとうございます！！
@user-yf7nt3ks9l
いいこと言うねあなた
その通り👍
@dd-pv9fk
アニメが好き！と言うと何となく白い目で見られる時代がありましたね。かわいい女の子がテレビでアニメが好き！とイキイキと語る姿はたくさんのアニメ好きやオタクに好きなものは好きと言っていいんだ！と励ましてくれたと思います。