桐谷伸夫

Nobuo Kiritani — guitarist of the underground band NAjNA.Though not a natural-born prodigy, he has devoted himself to the guitar since childhood, honing his skills through years of steady effort. On stage, his reliable playing anchors the band; off stage, he’s known as a kindhearted soul whom everyone depends on.

Academically average and never fond of studying, Nobuo chose a different path early on. While his older brother inherited the family’s ramen shop Kiritani Ramen near Hachioji Station, Nobuo decided at fifteen to become a professional guitarist. Supported by his parents’ words — “Our boy’s better off with a craft than with books” — he threw himself into music.

His musical journey is deeply intertwined with that of Sara Kamishiro, NAjNA’s vocalist. When Sara moved to Japan from Portugal at fifteen, unable to speak Japanese and isolated at school, it was Nobuo who reached out. Whenever she felt hurt, she would visit Kiritani Ramen, where Nobuo silently placed a steaming bowl before her. Those quiet moments became the emotional origin of NAjNA’s birth.

Few fans know it, but Nobuo is also privately in a relationship with Mei, the band’s drummer. Their bond remains unspoken publicly — a secret quietly preserved within the band.

For Luna, Nobuo’s presence became significant in an unexpected way — through his absence.He was supposed to accompany Mei to Blue Note Tokyo, but his mischievous friend Reiji Yashiro got drunk, passed out naked in a park, and was detained by the police. Called for help, Nobuo rushed to rescue him, bartering with Yashiro’s infamous “10-year Yakiniku Pass” and ultimately skipping the event. The next day, he even had to fill in on bass for Yashiro’s chaotic band, “Three Little Devils and the Future Old Man.”

That night — when Mei, left without Nobuo, instead invited Luna to Blue Note — became the turning point that led to Luna’s fateful encounter with Maya Kujou.In a way, Nobuo’s unseen presence was one of the hidden catalysts behind that meeting — and the beginning of LUNAR EXIT itself.