After the death of Kunihiro, he was hired by Matsudaira Tadamasa, who was then under the control of Matsuhiro fief of Shinano province. Tadamasa later transferred to the Takada fief of Echigo in Genna four (1618). Kunikiyo then moved with the final transfer to the Fukui fief of Echizen. Later Kunikiyo moved to a residence in Hamamachi which was provided by the fief, he then received the honorary title "Yamashiro no Daijō“ on the 17th day of the second month Kan´ei four (1627) and was given the permission to carve a chrysanthemum onto his tang. His title was upgraded to "Yamashiro no Kami“ In the second month of Kan´ei five (1628). Kunikiyo died in the second year of Keian (1649) at the age of 60. There is another conflicting date of death that is listed as first day of the third month Kanbun five (1665).

He signed katana with a tachi-mei and the lower radical of the character for "kiyo“ (清) in most of the cases as (月), but sometimes he chiseled the central horizontal strokes also in a vertical or slanted manner which became later standard for successive generations Kunikiyo. His blades are "wazamono" for a high degree of sharpness in his swords.