Kanewaka was the founder of the Kashū Kanewaka line, a swordsmith of Province descent who relocated to Kanazawa in Province. He styled himself Tsujimura Shirōemon no Jō, and by around Genna 5 (1619) received the court title no Kami and changed his name to Takahira. Extant works of the first generation begin with pieces dated Keichō 14 (1609), placing his active period in the late Keichō to early Genna eras. The lineage continued through several generations who used the name: the second generation was called Matasuke, and the third, like the first, used the name Shirōemon no Jō.
The Kanewaka's work displays a clear manner rendered in a idiom. His forging is typically with a tendency toward flowing , sometimes mixed with , well forged with adhering; in certain works the grain is somewhat boldly textured (), yet enlivened by and a dark-toned that appears clear and bright. His ranges from me- with coarse , frequent and , to with a tight forming shallow mixed with small , pointed elements, and . The is characteristically turning back in , or with . Several blades bear including with .
Kanewaka is valued both for the quality of his workmanship and for his documentary significance as a -lineage smith establishing a new tradition in during the formative Keichō- period. His show powerful silhouettes characteristic of the era — broad , thin , shallow , and extended — while his , which are rare under the Kanewaka signature, display a skillful interpretation of the style. Dated examples constitute valuable reference material from a documentary standpoint, and his superior pieces clearly show a -style approach of considerable accomplishment.