Norimitsu belongs to the lineage of Province and is traditionally identified as a student of Nagamitsu. The earliest extant works bearing the Norimitsu signature date to the Kagen era of the late period, and the name was transmitted through numerous generations down to the close of the period — a span encompassing perhaps more than ten successive smiths. The most celebrated works are those dated to the Kansho era, and the smith active in the Bunmei era occupies a position of particular scholarly interest, as the notes there "remains room for research as to whether it was made by the individual as Kansho Norimitsu or by the next generation." Critically, the Kansho-to-Bunmei-era Norimitsu stands between the Oei-era masters Morimitsu and Yasumitsu on one hand, and the later smiths Katsumitsu and Sukesada on the other, displaying an intermediate style that bridges these two periods.
Norimitsu's sword work characteristically employs with standing out in the , and his alternates between two principal modes: a showing a -like double-structured tendency with and entering freely, and a with a tightened and frequent . The bosshi typically enters , often with asymmetrical treatments between and . His forging in on spear works, with -laden and , follows the long-established convention for older spears and is acknowledged as distinct from his characteristic manner. His blades frequently display or , and with or terminations are regularly encountered.
The repeatedly characterizes Norimitsu's productions as displaying "good workmanship in both and " and as "orthodox and straightforward." His signed, examples are valued as material that "conspicuously reveals distinctive features in both the and the tempered edge," and his work constitutes, in the Board's assessment, "valuable source material for the study of smiths of this period." His , among the earliest bearing Bunmei-era dates, are commended as "orderly and well made" and recognized as representative spears of the period. Across all forms — , , , and — Norimitsu's oeuvre documents the evolving character of mid- craftsmanship with scholarly precision.
