Shigeru Nakamura was born in Jinsekikōgen, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, on 11 January 1911. He worked in civil engineering. At some point, he married Teruyo, with whom he had five children.

Nakamura was exposed to the aftermath of the August 1945 bombing of Hiroshima by U.S. forces in the closing stages of World War II, after he went to help clean up rubble in the devastated city following the attack. As a result, he held the Atomic Bomb Survivor Health Certificate.

After retiring, he became a farmer, growing rice and leaf tobacco.

His wife passed away in 2003. Following her death, he was living on his own until 2018, when he moved into a nursing home. In his later life, he had ten grandchildren and at least one great-grandson. He was able to eat without assistance, he liked coffee, and some of his favorite foods were wagyu beef and manjū.

Shigeru Nakamura passed away in Jinsekikōgen, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, in the early morning hours of 15 November 2022.