Takeshi Nakazato leads the Myogi NightKids street racing team. He first appears witnessing Takumi Fujiwara's Toyota AE86 defeat Keisuke Takahashi of the RedSuns during a Mount Akina race. This prompts Nakazato to challenge Takumi, aiming to dominate both the "Akina downhill specialist" and the RedSuns. Originally piloting a Nissan Silvia S13 with drifting techniques, Nakazato abandons this style after a decisive loss to a silver Nissan Skyline GT-R R32 on his home course, Mount Myogi. He dismisses drifting as "weak" and "showy," adopting a grip-based approach instead. He switches to a Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II (R32), asserting that a car's inherent capabilities ultimately limit driver skill. Nakazato demonstrates technical awareness, recognizing Takumi's gutter-hook technique during Takumi's battle with Keisuke. His driving leverages powerful acceleration and precise grip control via the GT-R's all-wheel-drive system. However, emotional volatility—particularly anger when overtaken or challenged—frequently undermines his performance. This often results in throttle miscalculation during critical moments, causing spins, guardrail collisions, and race losses. Early races also reveal a tendency to neglect tire wear management during aggressive driving. Nakazato formally challenges Takumi after encountering Takumi's friend Itsuki Takeuchi at a gas station. During their Akina downhill race, Nakazato initially blocks Takumi's inside line through five consecutive hairpins. When Takumi attempts an outside pass, Nakazato's countermove triggers loss of control, leading to a crash and defeat. Within the NightKids, Nakazato shares a complex relationship with teammate Shingo Shoji. Though a faction aligns with Shingo, they maintain underlying mutual respect for each other's driving abilities. Public interactions remain distant, yet they privately discuss races together, including Takumi's battles and Project D events. Nakazato also expresses interest in Sayuki from the Impact Blue racing team. His character appears across multiple adaptations. In the *New Initial D the Movie* trilogy, particularly *Legend 2: Racer*, his challenge and race against Takumi form a key storyline. The *Battle Digest* OAV recaps these events without new scenes. The live-action film similarly depicts his role as NightKids leader challenging Takumi and suffering defeat. Nakazato exhibits minor development in tire conservation during a later rematch against Eikichi Shimamura. Nevertheless, his core traits—technical skill paired with emotional fragility under pressure—persist throughout his racing endeavors.