The Hōjōji school takes its name from a locality in Tajima Province (present-day northern Hyōgo Prefecture), where swordsmiths were active during the period. The most celebrated artisan of this group was Kunimitsu, whose dated works survive from the Jōji era (1362–1368). From ancient times, the Hōjōji lineage has been renowned as master makers of (pole-arm blades), though signed examples by Kunimitsu are exceedingly rare and limited exclusively to and . The vast majority of works attributed to the school today are unsigned or (pole-arms converted into swords), reflecting the group's specialized expertise in producing large-scale polearm weaponry during the turbulent fourteenth century.
The collective style of unsigned Hōjōji attributions is instantly recognizable yet requires careful examination to distinguish from work—particularly the school. The hallmark is a flamboyant mixed with and pointed elements ( or ), exhibiting dramatic variations in temper height between front () and back () surfaces that create an elegant, animated impression. However, where workmanship employs softer , Hōjōji blades are decisively : thick adheres throughout, and the remains bright and crisp. The typically shows flowing mixed with and , often displaying pronounced (standing grain) with abundant and vivid that rises clearly against the ground. Within the tempered area, long-running and appear conspicuously, flashing through the in a manner more vigorous than is customary in traditions. The interplay of strong , standing grain, and abundant internal activities constitutes the defining aesthetic of Hōjōji workmanship.
The legacy of the Hōjōji school rests upon a curious divergence: the signed by Kunimitsu often display or small mixed with , in a robust style with prominent —a manner markedly different from the brilliant seen in unsigned attributions. This stylistic gap has led scholars to recognize that "Hōjōji" as an attribution applies to a broader workshop tradition rather than a single hand. The school's enduring reputation derives from the power and technical mastery evident in these pole-arm conversions: blades of imposing size and bold bearing, with and shallow , whose forging and tempering reveal the vigorous spirit () of martial culture. As exemplars of Tajima workmanship, Hōjōji blades occupy a distinctive position within the broader landscape of fourteenth-century sword production, celebrated for their combination of flamboyant visual impact and meticulous structural refinement.