Daisetsu SUZUKI (real name: Sadataro), Ryokichi YAMAMOTO and Sakutaro FUJIOKA of the same prefecture had been his friends since Ishikawa Prefectural College (which late became Fourth High School), and Nishida, Suzuki and Fujioka were known as the 'Kaga no San Taro' (lit. the three Taro of Kaga).
同郷の鈴木大拙（本名：貞太郎）、山本良吉、藤岡作太郎とは石川県専門学校（第四高等中学校の前身、のちの第四高等学校(旧制)）以来の友人であり、西田、鈴木、藤岡の三人は加賀の三太郎と称された。