Sokan was born in the early Bunsei era (1818-1830) as the son of Ono Heizo, in the castle town of Shirakawa in Oshu. His teacher in swordmaking was Koyama Munetsugu, and his forging career appears to have begun around the end of the Tempo era (1830-1844). From around the beginning of the Kaei era he served as a retained smith of the Shimosa Furukawa Domain. Among his later works are examples signed "Abukuma-gawa Sokan," in which he adopted as a surname the Abukuma River of his native region. He began regularly using the art name Tairyusai from around Ansei 1 (1854). His residence in Edo was at Fukagawa Hakozaki. Initially cutting his signatures in kaisho (standard script), from around the eighth month of Ansei 4 (1857) he changed to reisho (clerical script). He was also adept at carving on sword blades and likely served as a capable assistant to his teacher. He continued making swords into the Meiji era, but no works are seen after the Haitorei; he died on January 23, Meiji 16 (1883).

Sokan's blades present the bold, imposing sugata characteristic of the shinshinto period: wide mihaba, thick kasane, shallow sori, and large kissaki, imparting a powerful appearance. The forging shows tightly packed ko-itame with thickly adhering ji-nie and abundant fine chikei; the faintly standing, distinctive midare-utsuri characteristic of this smith also appears. The hamon is based on choji mixed with ko-gunome, gunome, and angular-headed forms, with long ashi entering well; the temper is nioi-dominant with ko-nie and occasional ara-nie, with fine kinsuji and sunagashi, and a bright and clear nioiguchi. In his comparatively early works the choji rises and falls with pronounced variation, producing a more splendid and flamboyant effect, while later works feature a linked succession of somewhat smaller-patterned temper elements. The boshi characteristically runs in midare-komi with ko-maru and a long kaeri.

The NBTHK recognizes Sokan as a smith of high technical ability whose finest works demonstrate that capability to its fullest. His earlier pieces are noted for greater variation within the choji pattern, with the hardened edge displaying noticeable change and a more brilliant effect, while late works show the bright, clear edge standing out strikingly against the robust form. Both ji and ha in his superior examples are described as kenzen (sound and well-preserved), a recurring evaluative commendation. The cutting-test inscriptions that frequently accompany his blades, often by Iga Norishige — counted among the "Four Heavenly Kings" of late-Bakumatsu connoisseurship — are noted as possessing great documentary value, further attesting to the esteem in which Sokan's work was held among warrior patrons of the period.

Sokan was born in the early Bunsei era (1818-1830) as the son of Ono Heizo, in the castle town of Shirakawa in Oshu. His teacher in swordmaking was Koyama Munetsugu, and his forging career appears to have begun around the end of the Tempo era (1830-1844). From around the beginning of the Kaei era he served as a retained smith of the Shimosa Furukawa Domain. Among his later works are examples signed "Abukuma-gawa Sokan," in which he adopted as a surname the Abukuma River of his native region. He began regularly using the art name Tairyusai from around Ansei 1 (1854). His residence in Edo was at Fukagawa Hakozaki. Initially cutting his signatures in kaisho (standard script), from around the eighth month of Ansei 4 (1857) he changed to reisho (clerical script). He was also adept at carving on sword blades and likely served as a capable assistant to his teacher. He continued making swords into the Meiji era, but no works are seen after the Haitorei; he died on January 23, Meiji 16 (1883).

Sokan's blades present the bold, imposing sugata characteristic of the shinshinto period: wide mihaba, thick kasane, shallow sori, and large kissaki, imparting a powerful appearance. The forging shows tightly packed ko-itame with thickly adhering ji-nie and abundant fine chikei; the faintly standing, distinctive midare-utsuri characteristic of this smith also appears. The hamon is based on choji mixed with ko-gunome, gunome, and angular-headed forms, with long ashi entering well; the temper is nioi-dominant with ko-nie and occasional ara-nie, with fine kinsuji and sunagashi, and a bright and clear nioiguchi. In his comparatively early works the choji rises and falls with pronounced variation, producing a more splendid and flamboyant effect, while later works feature a linked succession of somewhat smaller-patterned temper elements. The boshi characteristically runs in midare-komi with ko-maru and a long kaeri.

The NBTHK recognizes Sokan as a smith of high technical ability whose finest works demonstrate that capability to its fullest. His earlier pieces are noted for greater variation within the choji pattern, with the hardened edge displaying noticeable change and a more brilliant effect, while late works show the bright, clear edge standing out strikingly against the robust form. Both ji and ha in his superior examples are described as kenzen (sound and well-preserved), a recurring evaluative commendation. The cutting-test inscriptions that frequently accompany his blades, often by Iga Norishige — counted among the "Four Heavenly Kings" of late-Bakumatsu connoisseurship — are noted as possessing great documentary value, further attesting to the esteem in which Sokan's work was held among warrior patrons of the period.