Misaki Nakamichi is a Japanese jazz drummer, educator, and artist based in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan.

She began playing drums at the age of 10 and has performed in various styles, including jazz, funk/fusion, Latin, and pop/rock.From the age of twelve, she studied drums with Keiji Aramaki, while actively performing in jazz sessions and ensembles throughout her teenage years.

She led her own jazz band and performed original compositions and arrangements in numerous jazz events and festivals. In 2010, as a member of her own band, she won the Grand Prix at both the Yokohama Jazz Promenade Competition and the Kanazawa Jazz Street Competition. She also received the Best Player Award at Yokohama Jazz Promenade, becoming the youngest recipient in the competition’s history. Misaki also performed onstage with Eddie Henderson, the world-famous jazz trumpeter, in 2010 and 2013.

In 2013, she was awarded a full-tuition scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she was mentored by and studied under faculty members such as Terri Lyne Carrington, Bob Gullotti, Tiger Okoshi, Jerry Leake, Dave Santoro, Hal Crook, Ralph Peterson Jr., Neal Smith, Mark Walker, Jon Hazilla, and Billy Kilson.

During her time at Berklee, she was recognized with numerous honors, including being selected as a Yamaha Young Performing Artists (2015).
She graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Performance in 2016.

After graduation, Misaki moved to New York City and became active in the city's vibrant jazz scene, performing at renowned venues such as Blue Note New York and Blues Alley in Washington, D.C. In 2017, she was selected for the prestigious Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead program.

In 2018, she was the only Asian musician selected for the jazz program “Generations 2018” held in Switzerland, which was directed by Maria Schneider.

In 2019, Misaki received a full scholarship to pursue graduate studies at Berklee College of Music. That same year, she won the Japan Champion in the international drumming competition “Hit Like A Girl”.
In 2020, she was selected as a member of “Sisters In Jazz”, performing at the Jazz Education Network (JEN) Conference in New Orleans.

She received her Master’s degree at the Berklee Global Jazz Institute with highest honors (summa cum laude) in 2021.

Misaki is an endorsed artist of Paiste Cymbals and Yamaha Drums.