Dewa Daijo Kunimichi was one of the most prominent and accomplished disciples of Kunihiro, working in Yamashiro Province during the early period. He is thought to have received the court title of Dewa Daijo sometime after the third month of Keicho 18 (1613) and before the third month of Keicho 20 (1615). His earliest dated work bears the inscription "Keicho 13" (1608), and a blade dated "Keian 5" (1652) adds his age as seventy-seven years; a further example dated " 2" (1662) marks the latest known limit, giving rise to a theory that works from Shoo onward should be regarded as those of a second generation. Notably, in an early phase of his career he signed using the character 道, rendering his name as "Kunimichi" (国道), before changing to 路 (国路) around Keicho 14. In his later years, certain works bear the prefix 来 (). These signature peculiarities, together with the frequency of the so-called -style in his output, have led scholars to conjecture that he had some manner of connection with the () lineage.
In terms of style, aside from the tradition, Kunimichi handled the various traditions with considerable skill and is regarded as the most versatile craftsman among Kunihiro's pupils. Above all, he excelled in the tradition, privately admiring and emulating the works of and . His characteristically displays mixed with and , often flowing toward , with the grain standing in the distinctive rough, texture associated with workmanship; fine adheres thickly throughout, and enters well. His is typically a mixed with , large and small , and occasionally -like elements, producing a flamboyant, undulating temper of varying height. The is deep, adheres thickly with somewhat coarse intermixed to produce slight unevenness, and the interior of the tempered area is vigorously active with , conspicuous , and scattered and . The frequently shows a tendency. His often enters in shallow and ends in a pointed tip with --the hallmark -style form--though examples tending toward or with long also appear. Carvings of Buddhist subjects, including , , and Fudo Myo-o, are encountered on certain works, and a rare Daikokuten carving on one has been recognized as evidence supporting the master-disciple relationship with Kunihiro.
Kunimichi's significance rests on his position as the foremost inheritor of the school's capacity for bold, -laden workmanship executed within a -derived idiom. His best works--characterized by broadly patterned , thick across the entire temper, and vigorous internal activity of and --fully capture the spirit of the -influenced manner and are recognized as superb exemplars of that domain. The distinctive flowing, coarsely textured forging and the -style remain reliable hallmarks of his hand. That certain of his quieter works can be mistaken for those of his teacher Kunihiro attests to how thoroughly he had mastered the style, while his dated pieces--relatively few in number--serve as valuable documentary material for the study of early swordsmithing.