Shigetsugu (重次) was a swordsmith of the school of Bicchū Province, traditionally recorded as the son of Toshitsugu and active in the mid- period around the Bun'ei era (1264–1275). The lineage is said to have begun with Yasutsugu around the Jōan era, and thereafter produced many notable smiths through the late period; those working no later than the mid- period are distinguished as . Representative figures of this early group — Moritsugu, Tametsugu, Tsugie, Tsunetsugu, Suketsugu, and Shigetsugu among them — share the character "tsugu" (次) as a common element in their names.
workmanship is characterized by conspicuous within the forging, with a tendency toward slightly standing grain that produces what is often described as a (crepe-like texture); mottled areas (-madara) and frequently appear, together with . Shigetsugu's display these hallmarks clearly: the is mixed with and , tending toward , with fine and fine . His ranges from -based compositions with shallow and mixed , , and to denser - patterns; adheres thickly, and and occur frequently. The notes that compared with works of the period, productions "convey a somewhat subdued and quietly astringent taste." Distinctive school conventions include placing the signature on the and using file marks — points that distinguish them from groups such as .
Surviving works by Shigetsugu are rare. Three blades designated Jūyō Bijutsuhin, including a transmitted in the Kishū Tokugawa family bearing the three-character signature "Shigetsugu ," are well known, yet are noted as exceptional in bearing -style () signatures contrary to the usual practice. His extant oeuvre constitutes precious material for research on this smith and the broader tradition.