Katsumura Tokukatsu was born in Bunka 6 (1809) in Mito. His common name was Hikoroku. He first trained under the Mito domain smith Sekinai Tokumune, and in Kaei 5 (1852), by domain order, traveled to with his disciple the first-generation Masakatsu, where he is said to have studied under Hosokawa Masayoshi and Unju Korekazu. During the Bunkyu era he relocated to the Mito domain residence at Koishikawa in and left a considerable body of work before his death on February 29, Meiji 5 (1872), at the age of sixty-four.
Tokukatsu's workmanship manifests what the assessors term a pronounced "Yamato temperament." His forging is characteristically or -inclined , with fine evenly applied and entering. The is consistently -based with a shallow flavor, frequently mixed with ; forms strongly along the , producing , while and run through with particular frequency. The turns back in with vigorous — a feature the writers identify as among his most reliable distinguishing traits. His blade forms tend toward the bold and martial: wide , thick , shallow , and imposing length, embodying the character of late Mito-domain swords.
His designated works confirm a smith whose strength lay in disciplined fidelity to classical Yamato models rather than in decorative elaboration. The -based tempering, the grain, and the charged, forceful activity of and together produce an effect that is at once austere and spirited. The 23rd-session designation records that Tokukatsu styled himself with the go "Shori" (Victory), and one blade bearing this art-name is noted as a work he regarded as a fully satisfying achievement. That several of his works also carry by his disciple Masakatsu speaks to the close workshop relationship between master and student.