Nanba Family (難波家)
The Nanba family was a court noble family of Toshoke and their family rank was Urinke. They were originally known as the Fujiwara clan. Their hereditary stipend during the Edo period was 300 koku.
They held the title of Viscount
The founder of the family was Dainagon (chief councilor of state), FUJIWARA no Tadanori, who was the fifth son of the Regent, FUJIWARA no Morozane.
Yorisuke NANBA (the fifth son of Tadanori) was a skillful player of the ball-kicking game 'Kemari,' praised as 'the best Kemari player in the Imperial Court.'
After Yorisuke, the lineage produced many skillful Kemari players including Munenaga NANBA and Masatsune ASUKAI (the founder of the Asukai family); therefore, the Nanba family kept Kemari, the hereditary skill, for a long time. The family line was once cut off due to the disturbance during the period of the Northern and Southern Courts (Japan), but during the early Edo period, the Nanba family was restored as they adopted Munekatsu NANBA (a son of Masatsune ASUKAI) from the Asukai family (Therefore, the Nanba family is regarded as a collateral branch of the Asukai family by some viewpoints). Their family rank was Urinke, and their hereditary stipend was 300 koku. According to the aristocracy during the Meiji period, the family held the title of viscount.