From the end of the period into the early era, several swordsmiths bore the name Daidō. The most prominent among them was Mutsu no Kami Daidō, whose signed and dated works survive from the Tenshō era, with recorded dates including Tenshō 2 (1574), 4 (1576), 13, and 18 (1590). Other smiths of the name carried various court titles -- Izu no Kami, no Kami, Kawachi no Kami, and Shinano no Kami -- while still others signed without titles as "Seki-jū Daidō," "Gifu-jū Daidō," or "Heianjō-jū Daidō." Among the smiths of this period, Mutsu no Kami Daidō is regarded as particularly highly skilled, "standing alongside Wakasa no Kami Ujifusa."
Daidō's forging typically shows mixed with , with fine well applied. His is characteristically an -based , or a shallow mixed with , , and -ba; the is consistently described as tight and clear, showing lively variation, with and and adhering . His tends toward , turning back in a Jizō-like manner or with a pointed tendency. His favors wide with imposing, dignified constructions, and he produced both and in . The carvings found on certain works -- including renderings of "Namu Myōhō Kyō" and -- are noted as "superb."
The consistently describes Daidō's workmanship in and as "excellent," with blades that are and of especially fine quality among his oeuvre. His technical ability is characterized as "extraordinary," and the dated inscriptions on his works -- particularly the Minamoto surname and Tenshō-era dates -- are valued as significant documentary records of late- swordsmithing in Province.
