Until his later years, whenever he was called a great master of Japanese painting, he reportedly said, 'If that guy [Hishida] were alive, he would be better than I am.'
晩年に至るまで、自らが日本画の巨匠と称されるたびに「あいつ（菱田）が生きていたら俺なんかよりずっと巧い」と口にしていたという。