Iga no Kami Kanemichi was the eldest son of Kanemichi of . His younger brothers included Kanemichi, Tanba no Kami Yoshimichi, and Echū no Kami Masatoshi. According to the prevailing account, during the Eiroku era he moved from to Kyōto together with his father and brothers, thereby greatly enhancing the reputation of the group. As the head of the lineage — also known as or Sanbonji — Kanemichi was notably active, and the family continued through multiple generations down to the end of the Tokugawa period. He is said to have received the title "Iga no Kami" during the Bunroku era, and the Keichō, Genna, and 'ei eras represent the period in which he left his most fully realized works. He was also highly accomplished through his broad command of diverse traditions — -, Seki-, , and Sōshū-den — demonstrating great skill in each. The second generation, Kanbei, inscribed himself "Nihon Kaji Sōshō" (Chief Master Smith of Japan), and the Kanemichi family possessed, generation after generation, the right to recommend to the Imperial Court regarding the granting of honorary titles to swordsmiths.
Kanemichi's workmanship is divided into an early phase before receiving his court title — namely around the Tenshō era — and a later phase after receiving it. In his earlier period, he produced blades with a somewhat whitish-tending forging and tempered pointed , or alternatively gunome-chōji and patterns. In many cases the tends toward a tightened appearance with , and the tip tempering has not yet assumed what is later called the " "; his workmanship at this stage falls squarely within the manner of . However, in the later phase after receiving his title, his style changes markedly: he favors a large, turbulent in which is mixed with large , angular elements, and pointed tendencies. The becomes strong, and appear, and the " " becomes clearly manifest. Many works of this later period display a -like character. His forging typically shows mixed with and , with a standing grain; thick adheres and enters well. The manner in which and appear near the , producing a striped aspect suggestive of an incipient , is a mannerism frequently encountered in this maker's work. The prominence of angular elements within the hardened edge and the uneven adherence of are also characteristic strengths of Kanemichi.
Among the brothers of the line, Kanemichi is recognized as the one who most earnestly and faithfully transmitted the style of their original home province of , while renewing it through the -influenced manner that became his specialty. His works encompass , , and , ranging from restrained pieces recalling the atmosphere of late to flamboyant examples overflowing with vigor and commanding spirit. Blades of his later period — with their broad , large , and bold — fully evoke the character of the and early ages. That many of his surviving works remain in (sound and well-preserved) condition in both and is especially desirable, and his finest pieces may justly be called displaying without omission the distinctive characteristics of the first-generation Iga no Kami Kanemichi.