Shigenaga was an early experimenter with urushi-e or lacquer prints. He used glue and brass dust to create tactile effects on the paper. Many of his works, including Child Reaching for a Fishbowl and The Actor Sanogawa Ichimatsu as a Young Man Holding a Folded Letter, used benizuri-e techniques. This method involved printing with vegetable dyes like safflower pink and green. He also explored western perspective in his uki-e prints. This approach gave his scenes of actors and daily life a distinct sense of space.

Modern collectors appreciate the graphic clarity of Shigenaga's woodblock prints. His depictions of historical events, such as The Korean Ambassador on His Way to the Capital, provide specific details of 18th-century life. The hand-coloured elements in his early prints offer a unique aesthetic that differs from later mass-produced works. His art brings a sense of history to any wall.