Hirotsugu was a smith of the school of Province. The school is traditionally said to have begun with Yasutsugu around the Jōdan era (1171–1175), working in the localities of and Manju in the lower basin of the Takahashi River, and thereafter flourishing greatly through the late period. Among works, those from the end of the period through approximately the mid- period are referred to as . sources record Hirotsugu as a son of Kunitsugu, with successive generations around the Genryaku (1184–1185), Kenryaku (1211–1213), and Kōan (1278–1288) eras. Many smiths characteristically used the character tsugu (次) in their names, and extant works by Hirotsugu are comparatively few.
work is distinguished by with abundant , the grain standing out to form a (crepe-like) texture; many examples show in the , fine and , and faint . Hirotsugu's is characteristically a foundation mixed with small and small , with , , and entering frequently; the is deep and in places takes on an (soft) tendency, well covered with , showing , , and . The is typically with , turning back in . Compared with contemporaneous works, presents a more subdued and astringent () character, possessing depth and quietly restrained taste.
Hirotsugu's display archaic and classically elegant — high with clear , noticeable taper from base to tip, and — well expressing the distinctive features of the lineage. The various activities appearing in both and are full of nuance, and the best examples achieve a (sound and well-preserved) condition in which the temper of the remains abundantly intact with ample forming hamaguri-ba, suggesting carefully commissioned works for warrior houses. His blades stand as masterpieces of the tradition and constitute valuable material for study.