He became the chief assistant to Eiji Tsuburaya, the Director of Special Techniques (Special Effects) at the Toho Company. They were best known internationally for their work on a series of science fiction spectacles produced at Toho.
With the death of Eiji Tsuburaya in January 1970, Nakano was the obvious choice to succeed him as the head of Toho's Department of Special Techniques (Special Effects).