However, the origin of the 'Soji's face is like a flatfish' belief seemed to be a light jokey answer made by a great grand son of Hikogoro SATO when Haruo TANI said a lighthearted joke to him in a TV program, and according to Tani, 'Soji's face is like a flatfish' does not mean his face is flat but the two eyes of other family members including his sisters in photos are closely-spaced.
しかし「総司＝ヒラメ顔」説は、佐藤彦五郎のひ孫が、テレビで谷春雄の話に軽くノってつい口走ってしまったのが始まりらしいのだが、谷は「総司がヒラメ顔」というのは“のっぺらぼうという意味ではなくて、一族や兄弟の写真がみな目の間隔が寄っているから”と話している。