Hojoji Masateru was a swordsmith of the -period Hojoji group, a lineage thought to have maintained some manner of relationship with Nagasone Kotetsu. He studied under Hojoji Masahiro, received the honorary title no Kami, and is said to have later resided in Akita in Ugo Province. He was regarded as one of the more accomplished craftsmen within the group, maintaining close professional ties with contemporaries including Kazusa no Kaneshige, Sukekuro Kanetsune, the fourth-generation Yasutsugu, and Izumo no Daijo Yoshitake, as evidenced by several surviving examples of joint workmanship.
Masateru's characteristically display a tightly forged with finely adhering and the appearance of . His specialty and greatest strength lay in , which he executed in several modes: a with deep and well-adhering , showing slight along the with fine and ; and a broader -cho with a slight tendency into which vigorous are introduced. In both modes the is consistently bright and clear -- -- and the is deep. The is straight, ending in , maintaining the composed character of the temper throughout. His forms follow the typical -period with shallow , noticeable base-to-tip taper, and compact , sometimes incorporating construction. The frequently bears decorative , and certain examples feature an engraved chrysanthemum crest -- a practice once attributed solely to the second generation but now understood to have originated with the first.
Masateru's connection to the broader Hojoji aesthetic is unmistakable, and there are works so reminiscent of Kotetsu in both and that one might feel as though viewing Kotetsu himself. Whether in or , the standing in his finest pieces is truly superb. One bearing a gold-inlaid cutting-test inscription attests to the practical esteem in which his blades were held, while another is described as an especially satisfying blade -- kaishin no ippin. His oeuvre represents the highest standard of the Hojoji school's tradition.