His great-grandson Eisaku SATO wrote at the beginning of his autobiography "Kyowa Ashitano Zenjitsu" (Today is the day before tomorrow) that "my ancestors were originally vassals of the Mori clan and were living in Hagi City (omission), my great-grandfather was serving directly the main Mori clan, however he was not at a high rank, yet, thinking about it now, he was a reformist at that time and when the Mori clan went to fight in Kyushu, he joined in the attacking force, after the Meiji Restoration he became the governor of Shimane Prefecture."
曾孫にあたる佐藤栄作は『今日は明日の前日』という自伝の冒頭に｢私の家はもともと毛利氏の家臣で萩市に住んでいた。（中略）曽祖父は毛利家本藩の直参だったのだがあまり格の高いものではなかったようだ。しかし､いまから考えると当時の革新派で毛利藩が九州に出兵した時などはその攻撃軍に加わっている。そんなことで明治維新の後は島根県の県令になった｣と書いている。