Chikayori was a swordsmith who resided at Nitta-sho in Province during the late period. He is documented alongside Noritsugu as one of the smiths active in that estate, though works by Noritsugu are exceedingly rare while extant examples by Chikayori are encountered from time to time. Surviving dated works bear era names including Bunpo, Gen'o, and Gentoku, establishing his period of production with clarity. The Gen'o 2 (1320) example carries the title Uemon-no-jo, indicating a degree of official standing. In skill, smiths of the Nitta-sho lineage — along with related groups such as Karakawa and Haji — are regarded as somewhat inferior when compared with works of the period, yet their rarity lends them considerable documentary significance.
Chikayori's characteristic workmanship centers on a slender with and pronounced , yielding an elegant archaic profile. The is typically with a tendency toward standing grain (), and attaches; a faint frequently appears. The in most examples is a quiet in with a somewhat subdued and the introduction of small . A minority of works depart from this restrained manner, displaying a more flamboyant character with mixed with and the tempering of on the reverse — demonstrating a broader range of capability than the typical production might suggest.
Chikayori's importance rests on his position as the principal documented smith of the Nitta-sho tradition within , a lineage distinct from the dominant mainstream. His dated inscriptions provide fixed chronological reference points for late workmanship, and blades retaining their original with crisp, clearly cut signatures are of particular value for the study of this provincial school. Works exhibiting both his characteristic restrained style and his occasional bolder manner together constitute essential material for understanding the full scope of swordsmithing activity in beyond the mainstream.
