Hida no Kami Ujifusa was born in Eiroku 10 (1567) at Seki in Province as the son of Wakasa no Kami Ujifusa. Initially called Kawamura Isechiyo and later Heijuro, he entered service at age eleven as a personal page to Oda Nobutaka. After Nobutaka's suicide he became a ronin, subsequently entering the service of Sakuma Masakatsu, lord of Kanie Castle in Owari Province. When Masakatsu fell from favor, Ujifusa moved to Kiyosu and from around Tensho 17 (1589) began working as a swordsmith. In Tensho 19 (1591), when Toyotomi Hidetsugu became lord of Kiyosu, Ujifusa, Masatsune, and Nobutaka were granted an audience at Jurakudai, each presenting a sword of his own making; on that occasion Ujifusa received the title Hida no Kami. He later moved from Kiyosu to Nagoya around Keicho 15-16 (1610-1611), transferred headship to no Kami Ujifusa in 'ei 8 (1631), and died that year at age sixty-five. Three generations worked under the name Ujifusa: the first held the title Hida no Kami, the second no Kami, and the third again received Hida no Kami.
The first-generation Hida no Kami Ujifusa is particularly associated with broad, unrestrained tempering mixed with , executed on blades of wide , shallow , and bold -- the archetypal of Keicho . His is forged in mixed with , with adhering thickly in fine particles and fine appearing. In his characteristic , adheres well, and the presence of mura- and lends an untamed vigor. His frequently displays a tendency with a pointed tip, deep , and -- what the describe as a - style. While his bold is the hallmark, examples in are unusual but notable: in such works the is especially well-applied with abundant internal activity including , , fine , and , revealing an aspiration toward the manner of the superior masters in the line of Go and . His works convey an aged, archaic taste alongside an impression of formidable power and spirit.
Among his oeuvre, many blades are wide in and grandly powerful, sometimes calling to mind greatly shortened -period blades, though one should note the distinguishing . Some works, at first glance, may recall the manner of Yasutsugu; however, the in Ujifusa's hand operates on a larger, bolder scale with broader irregularity, and the attaches more unevenly. His preserve a form carried over from the preceding age, while his rare bearing elaborate attest to the breadth of his repertoire. The -style character of his native tradition is clearly manifested in his finest works, and his dated inscriptions spanning the Keicho era constitute valuable documentary material for the study of early swordmaking in Owari.